Brendan Jonathan Bessee

Brendan Jonathan Bessee was born on March 16, 1998, to Robert and Judy Bessee in Globe, Arizona. He joined his big sister, Danielle, to complete a very happy family.

At the age of three, Brendan began ice skating and, just like his dad, became a huge hockey fan. By age five, and with no ice rink in the Globe-Miami area, he began playing hockey in the valley. His parents made the trip there and back a couple of times every week for many years taking him to hockey practices and tournaments.

In Brendan's early hockey years, he participated with many hockey travel teams across the country playing in tournaments from California to Boston. Eventually, at age 15, Brendan tried out and earned a place on a Junior Hockey team in Wenatchee, Washington. He left home and Miami schools and lived with a host family, going to school, making lifelong friends, and playing hockey for the Wenatchee Wolves.

He played two more seasons with junior hockey teams in Whitefish, Montana and Helena, Montana. Returning to Miami at age 17 and, now standing at over 6 feet tall, he finished his senior year and graduated from Miami High School in 2016. During his graduation, his classmates commented that he
had left Miami as a squeaky toy and returned as G.I. Joe.

Following high school, he played a season for the Oklahoma City Blazers before receiving a scholarship to play hockey at Grand Canyon University in Arizona. He was part of the Antelopes hockey team during the 2018-2019 season. His playing career was cut short due to an injury. He then studied fire science at Central Arizona Collage and, before graduating from the program, he was hired by the Sierra Vista Fire department. He worked there for about a year as a firefighter before returning to Globe.

Back at home, Brendan became a reserve with the Globe Fire Department until being hired at Salt River Fire Department in January 2022. During his fire academy at Salt River Fire, he set a course record for the skills course shaving two minutes off the previously held record.

On Friday, April 8, 2022, while on duty and responding to a 911 call, Brendan suffered a fatal injury.

Brendan loved hockey, skiing, golfing, hiking, and just about all other sports. He was a quiet person, but when he did have something to say it was always something funny. Brendan found humor in almost everything. He never lost any teeth and will forever be undefeated.

Brendan is survived by his parents, Rob and Judy Bessee, sister, Danielle (Ryan), Grandmothers Laura Bessee and llene Johnson, aunts and uncles Mike and Jeanne Moss, Mike and Janet Donelan, John and Carol Johnson, cousins David (Samantha), Daniel (Sofi), Jason, Taylor, John-David and Michael.

Funeral services for Brendan Bessee will be held on Saturday, April 16, 2022 at 11:00 A.M. at Miami High School Auditorium in Miami, AZ.