January 25, 1996 – September 27, 2026

It is with unimaginable sadness that we announce the passing of our handsome son, brother, partner, grandson, nephew, cousin, friend and devoted dog dad, Brody Richard Toutant, who passed away on September 27, 2026, at the age of 30.

Brody was born in Wainwright, Alberta, on January 25, 1996, to Mick and Dawn Toutant. He grew up alongside his younger brother, Ryley. Brody loved being Ryley’s big brother, even though they were only 20 months apart. The two were often more like partners in crime.

As teenagers, Brody and Ryley spent countless hours playing video games together, especially Black Ops, and that continued well into adulthood. Battlefield was another favorite. Being Brody’s little brother also meant Ryley occasionally found himself getting sucked into helping Brody out of a jam—or, depending on the situation, somehow ending up even further in trouble right alongside him.

As adults, the brothers lived together in Red Deer, where there were countless late-night conversations—usually with Brody doing most of the talking and Ryley doing most of the listening. Anyone who knew Brody knew he rarely arrived at the point of a story without a very thorough preface first. And occasionally, an accidental “babe” would come out instead of “Ry.”

His dad, Mick, had a huge influence on Brody and helped shape his lifelong love of old trucks and motorbikes. Over the years, that meant countless adventures shopping for the many vehicles Brody owned, along with their shared love of tires and anything with an engine. Brody was especially thrilled whenever his dad would take one of his motorbikes out for a rip. Their relationship was also found in the everyday things—work, projects, life and the advice Brody would turn to his dad along the way. Mick and Brody even shared many of the same pet peeves, and the family couldn’t help but laugh at just how alike the two of them could be.

Brody shared an incredibly special bond with his mom. Dawn was often the person he called to rant, think out loud, complain, laugh, regroup and eventually figure things out for himself. They could talk about anything and everything, sometimes for hours. He loved his mom’s cooking and knew, without question, that she was his biggest fan—always there encouraging him, motivating him and believing in him. Those calls, those rants, hearing “Mom…” on the other end of the phone, and all of those ordinary moments together are among the countless things that will now be missed beyond words.

As a family, some of their favorite memories were made quadding together, enjoying the outdoors and simply spending time with one another.

Brody loved fiercely and talked just as fiercely. If something mattered to him, you knew it. He could talk your ear off about a truck, a problem at work, something he had just learned, or whatever happened to be driving him crazy that day. He was funny, sarcastic, stubborn, passionate, and intensely curious. He could turn the smallest inconvenience into a legendary rant—and often have everyone laughing about it afterward.

Brody loved trucks and knew an astonishing amount about them. He could recognize a truck and tell you it’s year, and if there was something mechanically wrong with a vehicle, he could happily talk through the problem for as long as anyone was willing to listen.

The summers Brody spent growing up at Nanny and Poppa’s farm are filled with amazing memories. He loved quadding with Nanny and Poppa and the freedom and adventures that came with being out on the farm. It was also there that a young Brody got behind the wheel of Poppa’s Ford F-150, beginning a love of old trucks that would stay with him throughout his life. Years later, life brought him full circle when he once again found himself behind the wheel of an old F-150.

Brody also treasured the many camping and fishing trips with Grandma and Grandpa, along with the time spent helping them around the acreage and simply enjoying being together. These were some of the childhood memories that stayed with him throughout his life.

Brody shared a special relationship with Katherine, built around so many of the simple things in life that meant the most to both of them. Their first road trip to Victoria—Goose in tow, open highway ahead of them, talking for hours and hours as they made the entire trip in one day. Favorite memories are of the two of them simply driving together, when Brody was genuinely happy and that unmistakable smile would appear.

Their life together was filled with long dog walkies, hikes and adventures, time on the boat, their shared love of food, quiet moments at home and plenty of trips to the grocery store—which, with Brody, could rival any fancy date night. Katherine admired how much he knew about trucks and loved listening to him explain how to fix something, even when she had absolutely no idea what he was talking about, simply because she loved hearing him get excited about something he loved.

And then there were the dogs—Goosie Moose and Lacie, his Princess Peach.

Goose wasn’t simply Brody’s dog. He was his best friend in the whole world. Their relationship had its own language, including “uppies to Dad” and the unmistakable, drawn-out “showwww meeee your butt.” Long dog walkies with Katherine and the dogs were part of their life together, as were hikes, adventures and those quieter moments at home. Lacie, his Princess Peach, held her own special place in Brody’s heart. His love for them was enormous, and they were woven into his everyday life, his routines and his idea of home.

Brody was happiest in many of life’s simplest moments. He loved open highways, being on the boat, the outdoors, fishing, Lego and World War II videos.

The gym held a particularly important place in Brody’s life. It was his happy place—a place where he could just be. He loved country music, and Randy Travis’s “Forever and Ever, Amen” will forever carry memories of him. Brody had his quirks too. He could never keep a secret, and if Brody needed to work something out, there was a good chance someone he loved was about to receive a very long conversation about it.

Brody was drawn to work that was hands-on, challenging, and gave him a sense of purpose. Volunteering with the Black Diamond Fire Department was a dream come true for him, and he was incredibly proud to be part of it. That experience reflected so much of what interested Brody—helping people, working as part of a team, learning new skills and being challenged.

Brody went on to earn a two-year Criminal Justice diploma from Bow Valley College and completed firefighting, search-and-rescue and other safety training. He worked at the local distillery before moving into animal bylaw enforcement, and his working life would later take him through corrections, the oilfield, outdoor labour and pest control.

At 30, Brody was still looking forward, considering what his next chapter might be and trying to find the life and work that felt right for him. He was never someone who stopped searching for his place in the world.

For all the different directions Brody considered and all the intensity with which he lived, he really did crave a simple life. People he loved, his dogs at his side, something meaningful to do, a truck, an open road and somewhere that felt like home.

Brody is deeply loved by his parents, Mick and Dawn Toutant; his brother, Ryley; his partner, Katherine Dromparis; his grandpa & grandma; Ray and Carolyn Toutant, his poppa & nanny; Richard and Carol Soles; his uncles and aunts, Tim (Nicole) Toutant, Kris (Le-Anne) Toutant, and Clayton (Sandy) Toutant; his cousins, Jaxson, Rowan and Mairen Toutant; his extended family; and, of course, his beloved Goosie Moose and Lacie.

Brody was welcomed on the other side by his beloved Auntie Kama Soles and cousin Reice Toutant.

There are a thousand things we will miss: his voice, his laugh, his long stories, his rants, his passion, his stubbornness, the way he lit up talking about something he loved, and the smile that appeared when Brody was simply, genuinely happy. Thirty years was nowhere near enough. Most of all, we will miss Brody being Brody.

One of Brody’s favourite quotes was: “It is better to be a warrior in a garden than a gardener in a war.”

Those words somehow feel even more meaningful now. Brody was strong, fiercely passionate and always ready to take on the world, but underneath it all, what he truly wanted was a simple life surrounded by the people and animals he loved.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Brody’s memory to Diamond Valley Fire Rescue, an organization that held a very special place in his heart.

Diamond Valley Fire Rescue
Box 10
Black Diamond, AB
T0L 0H0
Phone: 403-933-5553

• Date : 2026-09-27