Stefan Matthew Brickey

Stefan Matthew Brickey died on the afternoon of April 29, 2026 at 32 years old in River Grove, Illinois.

Stefan was born on October 16, 1993, Chicago, Illinois. Stefan grew up in Chicago, Illinois and went to Uptown Christian School; he graduated in 2012. As an adult Stefan worked for Leak Stop Roofing as a Roofer.

Stefan is survived by his parents Matt & Karen (Rindt) Brickey of River Grove, his sister Gretchan Brickey (Ken Zidek) of Kenosha, Wisconsin and his brother Duncan Brickey of River Grove.

As a kid Stefan loved to wander, even when his wandering turned into being lost. It never stopped him. He was never afraid of getting lost, somehow he was always able to find his way home.

Stefan always had his imagination running; he was always planning some new game or “adventure game” as he called them. At 5 years old his greatest wish was to be a space alien when he grew up. He would spend hours playing as Pajama-man, with his sister as Pajama-girl, and his friend Jonah Andrews as Pajama-boy. Stefan and his friends; Jack and Jonah Andrews, Kaleb Sullivan, and Shannon Smith, were almost always together playing video-games or making home movies. Including Weired-Al music videos which Stefan enthusiastically declared they had to do the song Fat.

As an adult Stefan enjoyed spending his time alone. But even as much as he loved his alone time he also loved to reach out and talk to you about the latest history or science video he’d watched. One of Stefan’s favorite things to do was take walks down by the Des Plaines river. He would spend hours wandering through the trees and taking pictures of the beavers, and deer he often saw near the river.

Stefan’s wandering soul longed to travel; he'd been lucky enough to go to Mexico, Peru, Ecuador and Ireland during his life. Everywhere he went he loved to wander and find all the hidden spaces. He was always excited to try new foods, never afraid of new flavors. He often would make a hodgepodge of leftovers mixed together, topped with his favorite pico de gallo, made by his mom. He and his dad spent many mornings together exploring new coffee shops and new restaurants for lunch in the afternoons.

He strongly supported social justice and believed in just being a good and kind person. Stefan refused to tolerate any kind of behavior that did not support those who needed help.

Stefan was a best friend, a wonderful son, and a beloved brother. His death leaves a gaping hole, we can never fill. Words can not express the loss we feel.

Stefan we love you, and you are missed.

A celebration of Stefan's life will be announced at a later date and time. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to either The World Wildlife Fund, The Trevor Project, or The SPLC.

Arrangements entrusted to Chicagoland Cremation Options in Schiller {ark, IL