Brandon Haugle
Brandon Haugle
Brandon Haugle, January 17, 1979 – March 6, 2023, Brandon Haugle unexpectedly passed away from sudden heart failure on March 6, 2023 at his residence in Eau Claire, Wisconsin.
Brandon was born January 17, 1979 to David and Julie Haugle. He grew up in Colfax, WI where he graduated from Colfax High School in 1997. Throughout his childhood, Brandon loved baseball and hockey, and hanging out with his “Grandpa Pinky.” He loved music and selftaught himself guitar, which he played actively until his death. More recently, he had taken up curling, and looked forward to “throwing rocks” whenever he could.
Brandon had three children – Warren, William, and Paige. Although distance and circumstances prevented him from seeing his children, he had a deep love for them and was so very proud of all their accomplishments.
Brandon is survived by his parents, David (Jean) Haugle and Julie (Wyatt) Zaun; children, Warren, William, and Paige; Grandmother, Ethel Tallman; Aunts, Debi (Jerry Wieland) Tallman and Diane (Ron) Hodgson; and Uncle Dale (Sheila) Haugle; as well as many cousins and friends.
He is preceded in death by his grandparents, Ken and Marion Haugle and his grandfather, Warren (Pinky) Tallman.
Although Brandon was an only child, he had special friendships with those he called “brother” – Jake Garnatz, Vince Foris, and Nate Haugle. Thank you for always being there for him. Your friendship meant the world to him.
A Celebration of Life will be held from, 1 p.m. – 3 p.m. with a service at 3 p.m. on Saturday, March 18, 2023 at Sampson Funeral Home, 1017 Railroad Avenue, Colfax, WI. To express online condolences, please visit www.sampsonfuneralhome.com.
Absolutely devastated to hear this. Growing up Brandon was my only true friend. I grew up very poor and met Brandon when in foster care while living in Colfax. During those times he accepted me as I was and never judged me, when many others did. Being a dirt-poor kid doesn’t make you the coolest kid in school or anything. We became really close and would thrash around Colfax, Menomonie, Eau Claire and beyond. Always cranking up the music loud and having fun. Brandon exposed me to Nirvana, The Melvin’s, Nine Inch Nails, Misfits, Sonic Youth, on and on. The guy loved alternative, punk rock and heavy-metal and could shred guitar with the best of them. He definitely had his finger on the pulse of what was going on in our youth. We always had a good time, laughing and carrying on no matter what we did. Those were the best moments of my youth. I owe every minute of them to Brandon. After High School we kept in touch and last time I visited home in late 2017 we made plans to hang out. I remember, I booked a room in Menomonie and he came up. When I opened my hotel door, though almost 20 years had passed, he hugged me like a long-lost brother. It was like time didn’t happen. He was still the same guy. Genuine and kind, the guy was a really good person. That day we went around town, laughing and having a good time like we had in years past. It was awesome, it made my whole trip to Wisconsin all the more worth it. I spoke with him a little over a year ago. We laughed and made plans to hang out again in the near future, likely this year. Sadly, it will now not happen. There are only a few people in my life I hold very dear, people that changed the direction of my life profoundly. Brandon is one of those people. I never had any friends growing up due to my family situation and my mother’s drug use causing me to always be on the move. When I settled in Colfax and moving forward, Brandon’s acceptance allowed me to feel normal, to see things differently and shed layers of resentment while building confidence in myself. It changed my life in a very positive way that has never left me. I know that Brandon had his struggles in recent years. I saw him fighting these ailments, that’s all I’ll say. I saw him fighting. Sometimes in life it’s the fight and the willingness to keep fighting that defines the person more than the victory. Sometimes it takes a hell of a lot of courage to go down swinging, never giving up. I know he had good parents; I thought the world of his Dad who’s a very nice person, I feel for them and they’re in my thoughts. To his children, I want you to know he spoke very highly of you. He beamed when talking about you, he loved being your father and knowing Brandon, you were never out of his thoughts. I’m sorry for this loss. Your father was a really nice person and a decent man. He was honest, caring and kind to others. I was proud to call him my friend and I always will. I’m forever indebted to him. Personally, this has been really hard on me, the guy meant allot to me and my life. If Brandon could hear me, I want him to know the best days of my youth were spent hanging out with him. I really mean that. He is loved and will be very missed. I posted our last picture together on my Twitter page “theostgard” today, I used the hashtag #brandonhaugle. To Brandon, man this is hard, it’s hitting me harder the more I’m processing it. In closing; I love you and thank you, thank you for everything. We had a great time being young, we really did. It was the best times of my youth; I have always held those times in such high regard when I look back, it’s usually the only things I like to remember. We crammed a lot of good times into only a few years and had the best music to soundtrack it. I remember jumping out of a moving car outside your Dad’s house – blaming the injuries on falling off a bike, and my foster mother actually bought it. Or when you, Eddie Burr and I would skip gym class every day to drive around like we were badass’ – that was until Eddie bashed his car up showing me a Zippo trick and swiped a bridge. I remember the band Tom Shortess, you and I had “Arkanoid”…which was only a band shirt and a few juvenile songs like “Stop Sign lodged down my throat”, I still remember how to play them all. The times we dorked around Memonomie, especially when we all started getting our licenses. Driving around endlessly for no reason just to wreaking havoc and throw water balloons at unsuspecting Wisconsinites, always blaring either Nirvana, Tool or something. Playing music, going to school dances and even lighting things on fire. The first and last time I ever did a legit whip-it, the memories are endless, I could go on and on. It’s so hard, I love you bro, I really am going to miss you and things will always remind me of you. How can I listen to the Melvin’s “Honeybucket” ever again? That was our jam, man this is going to be really hard to get thru. All the stuff we did, heard and experienced. I’ll be reminded of them for as long as I live. I wish I could have another day of hanging out, living life, laughing and having fun. I wish I could relive those past times again. Until I see you again, rest well and be at peace. I pray that God is with you. I love you forever and will miss you always. Your friend, Leif Ostgard.