Brent Guggisberg

Brent Guggisberg, 50 of Mankato, passed away on March 26, 2018 at his home in Mankato.

Mass of Christian Burial will be 11:00 a.m., April 7, 2018 at St. John the Baptist Catholic Church, 632 South Broad Street, in Mankato with visitation from 9:00 a.m. until the time of the service. Burial will be at Calvary Cemetery in Mankato. Mankato Mortuary is assisting the family with arrangements.

Brent was born September 6, 1967 to Clifford Guggisberg and Audrey Goodrich in New Ulm, Minnesota. As a child and throughout his life, Brent was a very intelligent and resourceful problem solver with an entrepreneurial spirit. He mowed lawns and shoveled snow for many families in the neighborhood and could often be found in the garage taking apart engines and building things.

He graduated from Mankato East High School in 1986 and received his Bachelor of Science degree from Texas A&M University in 1991. During college, Brent also studied at NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory-Caltech to work on the historic Galileo to Jupiter mission.  

After college, Brent had a successful career at General Electric Power Systems and travelled extensively throughout the world overseeing the installation of power systems in remote and sometimes dangerous locations. He lived and worked in places like Mongolia, Nigeria, Japan, Saudi Arabia, China, United Arab Emirates, US Virgin Islands, Indonesia, Guam, and Quebec, to name a few. 

In recent years Brent settled back in Mankato and continued to help neighbors and family. He was known as kind, generous, and patient and was especially helpful to elderly neighbors nearby. Brent enjoyed storytelling and good conversation, was a keen listener, and had a playful sense of humor.

Brent is survived by his mother, Audrey (Goodrich) Esser of Mankato; father, Cliff (Sharon Remick) Guggisberg of Marine, Minnesota; siblings, Brad Guggisberg of Cottage Grove, Sherry Essen and her children, Emily, Sam, and Erik of Mendota Heights, and Ryan (Merri) Guggisberg and their children, Abigail and Alex of Inver Grove Heights.

Brent is preceded in death by his grandparents, Burton and Mary Goodrich and Edward and Hattie Guggisberg; and step-father, James Esser on January 3, 2018.