Ecclesiastes tells us there is a season for everything, and a time for every event under heaven. A time to be born, and a time to die.

For some, death comes at the end of a long life. For others, as it was for Brent, it comes far sooner than expected.

On June 5, 2023, we said goodbye to Brent Alan Riedel, who left us far too soon at the age of 57 after a short battle with cancer.

Brent was preceded in death by his father, Larry Dale Riedel. He is survived by his mother, Joyce; his older brother, Troy, and wife Kay; and his younger brother, Darryl, and wife Stacie.

Brent grew up in the Fort Worth area alongside his family. Like most kids, he shared in family gatherings, vacations, friendships, laughter, and all the ordinary moments that shape a life. But from an early age, Brent carried a deeper struggle within himself — trying to understand where he fit in, searching for acceptance, and finding the courage to become fully who he was meant to be. That journey was not always easy, but over time he found his place, his peace, and the people who loved him for exactly who he was.

Later in life, he found happiness in South Florida with his partner, where he embraced the things he loved most — traveling, the beach, the ocean, and creating new possibilities through the homes he restored and flipped. He also valued the friendships he built through his work with Ergo Candles and through working closely with his good friend Pastor Serita Jakes of The Potter's House.

The ocean was one of the places where Brent felt most alive and at peace, making it especially meaningful that his ashes are being spread into the Gulf Stream off the coast of Fort Lauderdale. Carried by the endless currents, Brent will continue traveling forever — free, unbound, and part of something larger and eternal.

Though we will miss him deeply, we carry forward the memories, laughter, and moments we shared with him. May the waters carry him gently, and may he always remain with us in spirit wherever the tides may go.

Fair winds and following seas, Brent. Rest peacefully.