We Miss You Brent. So many stories have been shared, and your memory is living on stronger then you could ever imagine.  But still...we just wish you were here.

I cant remember the first time I met Brent but we
 were very young.  What I do remember is that he was always smiling and
 always helping people.  Brent touched so many people's lives and I'm sure
 they have never been the same since.  I can imagine Brent (like
 everyone) had bad days sometimes but I never ever saw him in a bad mood or
 angry.  I can only picture his smiling face.  I also will always remember
 the Verch family and their closeness.  They always welcome everybody
 into their home and treat them like family which makes you feel very
 special!  It is impossible to imagine the world without Brent…we were
 lucky to have him and now I guess God and everyone in heaven is lucky to
 have him.  I hope the Verch family can find a bit of comfort in knowing
 Brent is now at peace

Brent would want us all to take something positive from this tragedy
 â€“ for each of us to take a part of him with us in our hearts and to
 become better people in his memory.

Thanks for you Brent!

Amy Kranz 

I was lucky enough to spend time with Brent on a
 number of occasions.

He was a good man!

I remember when 12 of us went to Canada for a 3 day weekend. It was an
 18 hour trip in celebration of Mick's 75th Birthday.  12 guys cramped
 in small spaces for 18 hours to catch fish we could have found 2 hours
 from home.  But I digress.  Brent took it upon himself to keep the group
 smiling under tough road trip conditions.  When everyone split up in
 different boats, it was Brent that made sure we all had cold beers.
 Instead of fishing he loaded his  boat with a few cases and went from boat
 to boat dropping off COLD beers so that we all could continue our
 fishing without having to come in to stock up. He was also the person who
 put all of our memories from the trip on a cd and sent them out to
 everyone. 

He was that kind of guy.

Whether bumping in to him at Sharks Cove, or at Lance and Sonja's home
 to watch football he was always the same.

A real good guy who listened and really cared about how you were doing.

He did that with everyone.

I know the Vikings will be better this year only because Brent will
 pull some strings up there.  I can only hope it wont be when their playing
 the Bears!

Miss you big guy.
 

DANA 

I am in shock and deeply saddened to hear the news of
 Brents passing. I only knew Brent for a relatively short time but enough time to make many good memories...riding to work on his Harley, grabbing a coffee at starbucks, drinking beer in his front yard, cocktails
 at 705 and of course VEGAS!  I met Brent in the Spring of 2002 on a trip to Hermosa to visit Sonja whom we had met the previous summer in Ibiza when they were on their honeymoon.  The Verch family were so warm and
 welcoming we decided to stay and Brent (being typically Brent and
 helping me out) offered me some work in his office in El Segundo.  I got to
 know him and his parents pretty well over the next few months and can
 only imagine their heartache at losing a Son, especially one like
 Brent. 
I cant even begin to understand or ask questions about why this
 happened but have to seek comfort in knowing that God took him for a reason.
  Most likely to inject some fun into heaven....there was a piece of the
 party missing up there and he found it in Brent.  Wherever he is i know
 he will be smiling...he always was.
My thoughts and prayers are with the whole family; stay strong and know
 that he is in peace.  God bless you all and keep you going through
 these tough times. xxx
~Jessica Locke 

This was some very sad news to hear about Brent and
 the loss the Verch Family is dealing with.
The Verch family was my second family while growing up and going to school at El Segundo. Sonja & I were sisters growing up completely inseperable. I have SO many fond memories of Brent and his entire family I can't even begin to share them all. Brent never went without a positive
 attitude which made him a very special and loving person. We all know Brent well enough to know that he is smiling down from above and I am sure that the family holds that very close to their hearts every minute of everyday, and reminds them that he does want his family and loved ones
 to hold their head up high in his memory.
I am so sorry for your loss. I will pray for this family to have the strength to go on just as Brent would want it......

Kimberly Hartman

I only met Brent once but I knew his sister from high
 school, my prayers go out to the Verch family. 

Yvonne Charles-Cusick

 Brent is heavy on my heart today - as he has been
 many days of my life.  Brent was my first love.  We were just kids. My memory today is my visit to California to see Brent in about 1990. Brent took me to the San Diego Zoo.  He played and sang to me over and over
 the song "Angel Eyes."  There will always be a place in my heart for
 Brent.  I miss you Brent.  God Bless you.  You have touched so many
 lives
 with the love in your heart.

~Michelle

My heart hurts so very much!
It must have been very hard for your family to move to CA. but Brent
 was sunshine the very first day!
He and I were voted the "BIGGEST FLIRT'S," in our class at the Prom. I
 was so proud to join him on the stage that night!!!!!!  He was always a
 GENTLEMAN.
Thank You for sharing your lovely son with us!
God Bless....
Lynn Leigh  

I am sad to hear my  old friend has passed on. I
 remember several years after the family left Olivia, I called him up out of
 the blue and told him I need a little vacation. He instantly said come
 on out I'll show you around and we'll have some fun. Sure enough he
 lifted my spirts and made me feel better. Who didn't have fun when Brent
 was around?  Brent had a way of make people feel good about themselves
 and life. Rest in peace my friend. 
Steve Prodoehl

I don't know what possessed me to look up "Brent
 Verch" on this lazy, overcast Saturday afternoon of March 22, 2008 in St.
 Paul, MN.  But now, somehow I wish I hadn't.  The caption "Brent Verch
 Memorial" immediately captured my attention and sent a chill down my
 spine as I hoped I would not find what I feared.  It felt like a punch in
 the gut.  I am so saddened by the loss of an incredible human being
 like Brent.
My experience with Brent is much like Scott Mathison's.  I was adopted
 from Colombia to the United States at the age of 14.  I arrived in
 Oivia, MN where Brent was one of the first people who reached out to me and
 made me feel at home.  I remember spending countless hours with Brent
 at his house with his great family and countless friends. 
Brent, Scottie, Matt, Steve and others taught me to play Amecain
 Football my very first fall in the US.  After that I joined them on the high
 school football team.
Yes, Brent was one heck of a wrestler.  He had such a passion for the
 sport.
I have to agree with others that one of gifts was that infectious smile
 and such a easy going demeanor.  Brent was one of those unique
 individuals that grabbed life by the horns and knew how to find its joy no
 matter what.
I also want to echo Steve Hunt's Verchism "You mess with the bull, you
 get the horns."  I can see him saying that right now flashing that
 great smile.

What a fun, awesome person he was. I had the pleasure
 of spending many days with Brent and his friends on the beach   ( I
 met him through Ed Harazin ). I am deeply sorry for your loss and only
 hope that knowing how many lives Brent touched helps you through this
 time of sorrow.

-Kevin McCann, New York

Brent was my brother in-law and was such a wonderful person. He was not just a son to his parents or a brother to his sister Sonja or brother Brad. Brent was special. He affected everyone’s life that he ever came in contact with. I could see the love that Brent had for his nieces’, Jayden, Kali and Dani. They will truly miss him as will all of us. 
 
Since the day Brent passed it has been difficult at some times to go forward and have a positive outlook on life. I want to say that the first time I met Brent was when he was with his sister Sonja about 8 years ago. From the moment I shook his hand, I knew how special of a person he was. As months and weeks passed our families met for the first time. What can I say, except Brent’s who family was just as special as he was and it was a blessing meeting them.
 
Brent’s love for life was evident due to his love for each and every one of his friends and family members. Brent was always there for everyone at anytime for any reason. Brent wanted to make you feel Ok inside and that no matter what everything would be OK.  Brent’s friends loved him like a brother and it was a special relationship / bond for each individual friend. Brent did not have anyone that did not approve of him that is because he had such a wonderful personality and was always there to give help to others in need.
 
In the time I’ve know Brent I can’t remember ever a time where he ever said, “He couldn’t help or wouldn’t help”. He never gave an excuse; he just always showed up and was there. He was always so full of life and so positive.
 
I don’t believe that I ever saw Brent not smiling or laughing.
 
Brent will never ever be forgotten about, but only remembered in wonderful ways. We know that he is in a wonderful place and that we are only her temporarily and will someday see Brent again.
What we also have to remember is that Brent lived an incredible and wonderful life and would only want us, all of us to go on living life to the fullest and not let his leaving us be a sad event. 
 
My tears flow as I write this but, but it is peaceful knowing Brent is OK and LIVING. He is in a wonderful place and has a special duty to fulfill which he will fulfill with grace and love and passion and he will never judge others as he never did here on earth.
 
I will remember Brent as a star in my heart and when I get a little down or sad, Brent will bring the smile back on my face. I want to grow with the Verch family and be apart of them forever.
 
I want to say that my father and mother in-law, the entire Verch family are a blessing for me and my family. I don’t know where or what I would be doing today if I did not have my beautiful wife Sonja and my three incredible little girls. The Verch family is my rock and having them in my life brings peace into my soul and has made me a better person.
“Brent I will always love and never forget”
 His brother in-law
Lance

Hi there,
 
Mike & I attended the memorial service for Brent on the beach and a prayer was quoted that touched my heart.  It was the Verch family version of “Now I lay me down to sleep”…..my daughter and I say this prayer every night and I would love to add the verses that you pray.  Mikayla, like the rest of us, loved her ”uncle verch” and I would like to say this prayer with her in honor of Brent.
 
If you could, please forward me the prayer as only the Verch family prays.
 
God Bless,
Joni Laib
 
I miss him…..
Mike and the boys are starting to arrive at Fontana as I write this.  I know he is with them!

"You mess with the bull you get the horns"
It was a sad day for me when my best friend aand his family left Olivia
 for Cali and just as sad to hear that he has left us all.
One special thing that Brent always seemed to do was spend time talking
 with his friends parents.  They became his friend too.
"To be the best,you have to beat the best" He did and he was.

Steve Hunt

Brent Verch – Your name being mentioned always
 brings a smile and sometimes a tear to my face, you will be deeply missed
 by everyone you crossed paths with.

When I first moved to Olivia in first grade, the first person to make
 me feel not scared or nervous in a new setting was Brent.  And little
 did I know at the time, we were practically neighbors (The Verch house
 was always my 2nd home) and would become great friends.  I will always
 cherish the wonderful time and memories we shared together, such as ice
 fishing, playing all sports, Confirmation class, driving into a ditch
 (caused by a missing road sign), the awesome parties we had, and Brent
 cranking Dwight Yoakum while we rode down the bike path on the beach.  I
 have so many memories from High School and beyond that I could write a
 novel of our time together.

Even though we were miles apart which sometimes resulted in not
 speaking with each other as often as we should have, our phone conversations
 would seem as though we talked everyday.  He was always more interested
 with what I was doing and how my family was, rather than talking about
 what he was up to.  While sharing stories and a beer over the phone, he
 always made sure he told me that he saw the dolphins swimming in the
 ocean, and also mentioned that the “sunset is so beautiful- you have
 to see it”, both visible from where he once lived.  I could tell he
 was happy and enjoying his fantastic life.

I was very fortunate to grow up with Brent and his beautiful family,
 and as hard as it was to see Brent and his family move away, I realized
 two things:  1. California was where Brent was meant to be, and 2.
 California needed a guy like Brent.

Thanks for the amazing and fabulous ride Brent…Peace be with you.

Love Ya Always,

Scott Mathison

Brent has always been a great guy! I remmembered a
 time when we whent camping at Jawbone with the crew. One night I asked
 Brent if we could look for shooting stars, he said, " Yeah, that will
 cool, hey after diner we'll go walking and find a spot to go star gazing."
 After diner Brent and i walked out and layed down and looked up at the
 night sky. He taught me all about the constalaytions and the north
 star and everything. After that trip i realized that because Brent had no
 kids of his own he showed the lack of not having kids by playing with
 his friends kids and his nieces. He would teach them things and make
 them feel good! I truly belive that Brent would have been a great father.
 He taught me alot of things that i will never forget. What makes me sad
 is knowing that my brother Andre will not remmember his magnificent
 uncle Brent. I'm glad to have met you Brent.

~Yalexy Lavalle 

Sometimes I struggle to find words to describe how I
 feel. It was crushing to hear of Brent's passing. He was such an
 amazing guy. Brent wrestled one weight class above me in high school and at
 El Camino college. We also coached together at El Segundo high. I
 probably wrestled Brent over 1000 times and I think he let me score about 7
 points. He taught me so much, not just in the wrestling room, but in
 life. He had a great way with people. If you were standing in front of
 Brent, he had a way of making you feel special. You had to notice that he
 was special. I miss my friend, I feel for his family and the rest of
 his friends, but mostly I feel honored to have been able to share the
 wonderful times that I had with Brent. He was a rock star that sold
 insurance.

Doug Somers     

 I just heard the news a few days ago.  I am truly
 sorry for your loss.  Brent was a great guy, and always made time to chat.
  Mr & Mrs Verch, and the rest of the family, you are in my prayers. 

~Aaron Corkins

 I spent a great deal of my high school days with
 Brent. We were wrestling partners and buddies... He was such a great guy,
 even the opponents he twisted in to pretzels liked him. I'll never
 forget the time he bit a guy's arm during a match and I looked at Darold and
 he said "Don't look at me, you're his practice partner!" I said,
 "well, you're his dad!" The truth is, neither of us knew what Brent would do
 to win a match (he won that one) and he didn't lose many.... I'm sure
 Brent was the mayor of his town and will be missed by many. I am
 blessed to have grown up with him and his wonderful family. 

~Kevin Hunt

"Tell me somethin good".....

~Stacey James

Sorry to have heard the bad news of Brent’s passing. It is not a easy thing to deal with but the hope they are in a better place helps. Have not talked to any of you guys for years but Ed seems to keep us in the loop of what is going on most of the time. If there is anything we can do from Minnesota let me know. hharazin@gmcontractinginc.com                                                                          
You may not even remember me but I have many memories of the Verch family from high school days. Brent will in deed be misted because of his ability to touch the hearts of people around him. May your family accept our deepest sympathy.
                                                                                      
                                                                                                         Yours truly, the Harazin’s
                                                                                                       Henry,Sue, Tyler, Kyle, Ryan, and Olivia

Brent was a natural at many things. However, I
 believe he was best at making people smile. I wrestled with Brent in Olivia.
  Brent rarely lost. He liked to win. But what Brent really liked to do
 was have fun while winning. He would often experiment and make up
 moves during matches only to find himself escaping from near impossible
 situations. He would then look at his teammates, grin and dominate the
 rest of the way. I remember Brent once getting caught early in a match on
 his back having to bridge for nearly an entire period. I knew he
 wasn’t getting pinned when I saw him wink, while in a headlock, at the
 opposing team’s cheerleaders. The only thing better than watching Brent
 wrestle was listening to him recap the event on the long bus ride home.

About 10 years ago I met two gals from Denmark who were nannies in
 Minnesota but planning to spend several days visiting Southern California.
  Other than DisneyLand they had no plans. I gave them Brent’s phone
 number and told them to call him if they wanted a nice guy to show them
 the beach area.  I later found out they spent 2 days at DisneyLand and
 7 days at “BrentLand”.

If you met Brent, you smiled and you will never forget him.
God Bless,
~Scott Schmoll
 

 I always told Brent he should be a Chiropractor. One
 day in the back yard on Mariposa he challenged me to wrestle. I
 thought, "no way can one of my little brother's friends take me." Well, he
 pinned me in about 3 seconds. Aside from the immediate embarrasment of
 leaving my feet and looking up at the sky faster than you can say
 Minnesota State Champ, he cracked my back and I jumped up and said, "that felt
 great!"

I never asked him for a rematch but each time I saw him after that I
 did ask him to crack my back. I know he was very good at his profession
 but he would have been a great chiropractor, too!

~Kevin Byrnes 

Here you can share with all your favorite Verchism, your favorite story, or your favorite memory.  I will update it EXACTLY as it comes in!