Reece P. Heyerdahl Obituary

Reece Patrick Heyerdahl, age 21, passed away unexpectedly on Monday, October 10, 2022. Reece was born in Neenah on March 13, 2001.

Reece's favorite pastime was driving everywhere in his truck. There was no road he didn't explore. His truck was a gift from his grandfather and a great source of pride for him. He also enjoyed doing a lot of burnouts in that truck. Reece enjoyed swimming, being in nature, nutrition, and working out. "Lifting" as he referred to it. Reece was also a gifted and talented athlete. As a power lifter, he set many state and national records. He loved football as well; playing with a passion, drive, and physical presence that was unmatched. Reece was sought after by many colleges for his football and power lifting accomplishments. Ultimately choosing Northern Illinois. As a freshmen, he made his way to being selected as a starter for the special teams, working his way up to a backup defensive end position. Ultimately, he decided to leave. In his heart, he was a Wisconsin Badger. Reece had many activities and hobbies he enjoyed in his free time. Whether it was building legos, listening to music, playing video games, or causing trouble. He was a free and beautiful soul, spreading kindness and love to those all around him. He was quick witted and funny. When the camera came out he was first in line to strike a pose or make a funny face.

Reece is survived by his parents, Darin Heyerdahl (Dianne Parker) and Kelli Heyerdahl (Jesse Landua); grandparents, Rodney (Peggy) Heyerdahl and Fran Burns. He is further survived by his sisters; Hannah Heyerdahl and Holly Heyerdahl (Tanner Gotchie); step-brothers Max and Quinn Parker his aunt, Dawn Hazen and his girlfriend, Sierra Helms, cousins and friends. Reece was preceded in death by his grandparents, Ed (Carol) Witthuhn and Clayton Burns.

A memorial gathering will be held on Thursday, October 20, 2022 from 4:00 p.m. until 7:00 p.m. at the Kessler-Fahrenkrug Funeral Home, 304 S. Commercial St., Neenah.

Mental health isn't taken seriously enough in our society. Far too often it gets swept under the rug or overlooked. Your mental health and physical well-being are vital to a happy and successful life. Reece struggled with mental illness for most of his life. Bottling up his problems which led to anger, sadness, and demons in his life. He was truly a kind a gentle soul, life was just cruel to him. As it always is to those with beautiful souls. Everyone who knew him and loved him pleaded with him to get help. He would always refuse. Friday, October 7th, his family decided to make the difficult decision to involuntarily commit him to a hospital. Three days later he committed suicide. Reece's story is heartbreaking and his loss was felt by many. He had many friends and many people who looked up to him. His family love hearing from people their experiences and stories of Reece. Feel free to share anything with his loved ones.

If you know someone who struggles with mental health and needs help, do anything you can to support them and tell them to seek counseling. If you or someone you love is in crisis there are resources below.

Call: Suicide and Crisis Lifeline: 988.

Text: The Hope Line: 741741, A memorial fund will be made in Reece's name to Prevent Suicide Fox Cities located in Appleton, WI.