It is with a heavy heart that I share the passing of my beloved son, William Brent Allen, who died unexpectedly on May 7, 2025, in Denver, Colorado. Brent was born on September 7, 1982, in Phoenix, Arizona.

He Graduated Chapparal High School, Scottsdale AZ. 2001 Attended University of Colorado at Boulder, Political Science, Economics. 2002-2004 Graduated Arizona State University with a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science, Philosophy, Certificate in International Studies, Graduated Summa Cum Laude, December 2006. Graduated University of San Diego School of Law. Doctor of Law (J.D), Focus on Energy, Environmental, and Natural Resource Law. 2007- 2010

Brent brought the same curiosity, intentionality, and intellectual integrity to his professional life that he brought to everything else. After law school, he worked in the Office of the Secretary at the U.S. Department of the Interior, where he focused on his deep interest in environmental issues. In 2015, he transferred to the Federal Highway Administration's Denver Office of the Chief Counsel as an Attorney Advisor.

Brent received two Administrator's Awards for his work: in 2017 for his legal work on the billion-dollar I-70 project in Denver, Colorado, and in 2020 for his work on the Rose Quarter project on I-5 in Portland, Oregon. Brent's supervisor said that Brent always saw both sides of an issue and found the right legal solution—one that supported the transportation community while protecting the natural environment. As his supervisor put it, "We need more lawyers like Brent."

His professional accomplishments earned him the respect of his colleagues. He was a proven and inspiring leader, a creative worker, a problem solver, and someone who was always thinking about how to make things better.

But Brent was so much more than his career.

His greatest joy was his son, Oliver James. Brent was the adventure dad—taking Oliver backpacking and camping, teaching him to fly fish, and introducing him to his love of music. Being Oliver's dad was one of the most important parts of Brent's life.

Brent was 100% Brent in everything he did.

He had an adventurous spirit, a natural curiosity, and a genuine love of life that took him around the world. He traveled extensively throughout Southeast Asia and Australia and lived abroad in Europe and South America. Brent was happiest when there was an adventure ahead of him and good friends beside him.

He loved fly fishing, skiing, snowboarding, surfing, cycling, camping, cooking, collecting wine, traveling, live music, photography, laughing, and making memories. He built a life filled with lifelong friendships, unforgettable adventures, and more than a few stories worth retelling.

Brent was larger than life—funny in that intelligent, witty way that was uniquely his. He was charismatic and completely unforgettable, with a booming laugh that could fill a room. His friends appreciated his witty, sarcastic sense of humor, which could be dark but was always intelligent, often with a good-hearted ribbing thrown into the joke. His humor had layers.

Brent was wickedly sharp and incredibly smart—and he knew it.

He was unapologetically 100% Brent, whatever form that happened to take on any given day. There was nothing watered down about him. Nothing.

If Brent was anything, he was determined. Once he set his mind to doing something, by God, he would get it done. He was funny, handsome, uninhibited, and fearless. He liked to party, loved the highs of adventure, and could throw caution completely to the wind when there was an experience to be had.

But in almost every part of life, he was a lawyer through and through. He wanted to understand things. He researched everything. He wanted to know what he was talking about, and he was always ready to make his case. But he was also willing to listen to the other side. He was always looking to grow, develop, and learn. You could leave a conversation with Brent feeling challenged, enlightened, and motivated to do better.

Brent could be many things at once: brilliant and reckless, cutting and incredibly loving, thoughtful enough to research something to death and fearless enough to eventually jump into it without thinking twice. He lived hard, felt things deeply, and was completely himself.

Brent gave many happy, funny, and enlightening moments to the thousands of people whose lives he touched. He leaves behind a lifetime of stories, laughter, adventures, friendships, and an indomitable spirit that will live on in everyone fortunate enough to have known and loved him.

Remember that great smile.

Remember his curious mind.

Remember his generous spirit.

Remember the way he could make you laugh and the way he could make you think.

Brent is survived by his son, Oliver; his mother, Diane; his sisters, Katie, Kelly, Kim and Melanie; his brother, Mark; his nieces, Makenzye and Kaila; his nephews, Everett, Zack, Jonah, Eli; and many cousins. Special gratitude to the incredible support system including Katie, Mark, Erin, Joe, Trevor, Marco, Adam, and Courtney. ‘The Thread’; and all the many wonderful friends who loved him dearly and lifted him up along the way.

Life is not defined by how many years you live, but by how you live them and by the people you touch along the way. By that measure, Brent lived an exceptional life.

He loved his family. He had close, true friends. He had extraordinary adventures. And he left an unmistakable mark on the people who were fortunate enough to share his life.

Mental health is complicated, and there are things about Brent's life that we may never fully understand. But we hope that, when you think of him, you remember his big smile, his generosity of spirit, his keen mind, his laughter, his curiosity, and the enormous life he packed into his years.

Brent's time was far too brief. He is forever in our hearts and deeply missed.

A celebration of Brent's life was held in San Diego.

In his memory, please consider making a memorial donation to the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI).https://www.nami.org/