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Nolan Engbaek

Obituary Photo

NOLAN BRADLEY BRUYERE ENGBAEK

August 21, 1991 – January 4, 2026

With heavy hearts, we announce that Nolan passed away on January 4, 2026 at the age of 34 years.


Nolan is survived by his mother, Lisa Audrey Murdock; his father, Bradley Joseph Bruyere; his sister, Madison Samantha Murdock; his brother, Adam Samuel Murdock; and his longtime companion, Ashlee Briem; as well as numerous aunts, uncles, cousins, extended family, and beloved friends.


Nolan was born to Lisa Engbaek and Bradley Bruyere on Wednesday, August 21, 1991. He entered the world at 11:56 p.m., and resided in Winnipeg, MB his entire life. By the age of eight months, Nolan was being single-parented by his mother until the age of two years, when his step-father, Samuel George Murdock, entered his life. It was with Sam’s influence that Nolan developed his wild, spontaneous, and fearless character we all know and love.


Nolan began working at the age of 15 and worked hard. He spent most of his adult years working construction, which led him to the job he was most proud of — diamond drilling.


Nolan may not have lived a long life, but he definitely lived life to the fullest. He will forever be remembered for his adventurous antics, sarcastic one-liners, and love of laughter. There are so many things that Nolan loved about life. He loved his family, the rowdy nights with his friends, eating until his stomach was rock-hard and protruding, his name-brand clothing, having a fresh haircut, his Britta water jug, and chugging soya sauce from the bottle. Nolan loved when his sister forced him to go for pedicures with her, even though he would never admit it. However, he would admit that he loved his stick-and-poke tattoos from his little brother. Nolan loved singing, even when he didn’t know the words, whether it be country music, Frank Sinatra, or any three6mafia song. He loved taking off his shirt, no matter where he was. He was confident and unapologetically himself, no matter what.


Nolan made friends everywhere he went. He never hesitated to strike up a conversation with a stranger, whether it be at the Big A, Silver Heights, or his solo trip to Mexico. He loved making money, but not as much as he loved spending it. Nolan was spontaneous, kind-hearted, and had a giving soul. He was over-protective of his little sister, gave guidance to his little brother anytime he needed it, and more than anything, he loved his Mom. Nolan was a good man. He will be truly missed.


A celebration of Nolan’s life will be held at 1:00 p.m. on Saturday, January 24, 2026 at 603 Wellington Crescent at Academy Road (Unitarian Church).


ETHICAL DEATH CARE

Cremation & Life Celebrations

1833 Portage Avenue - Winnipeg

204-421-5501 - www.ethicaldeathcare.com

Memories, Stories and Condolences

 

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Raelle

August 22, 2026 at 10:52 AM

Rest easy, Nolan. My heart is broken for your mom and siblings. We grew up together, and I wish things could’ve been different. You’ll never be forgotten, my friend. 🕊️

Mom

August 21, 2026 at 3:06 AM

Today would have been Nolan's 35th Birthday.

 

Happy Heavenly Birthday, my Sweets. We will hike up today and leave a plate for you with your favourite foods and, of course, your Black Forest Cake with a few candles burning brightly.

 

I pray everyday that you are where you need to be, still watching out for me and the kids, and bringing love and comfort to your love of your life.

 

Today is one of our more difficult days. I miss you more than I could have ever imagined.

 

I love you so much, my Sweets. xoxo

Ashlee

August 21, 2026 at 12:14 AM

Happy Heavenly birthday to my soulmate, my best friend and the love of my life .

 

Today I celebrate you, your life, and the beautiful love we shared. Even though your no longer here, your presence is such a huge part of my life and your love continues to live in my heart every single day. You left a piece of yourself in my heart that will never leave. Losing you changed me forever, but I will always be grateful to have found my soulmate. You came into my life and changed it completely. You changed the way I loved, the way I saw life, and the person I am today. A part of who I am will always belong to you . No matter how much time passes, you will always have my heart & I will carry your love, our memories, and everything you taught me for the rest of my life. I miss you more than youll ever know and I love you more than words could ever express. I hope your celebrating somewhere beautiful❤️ Cheers baby 🍻 Until we find each other again I will miss you so much. You will forever and always be the love of my life . I love you so much Nolan xox

Lisa Murdock (Mom)

July 10, 2026 at 6:22 PM

Oh my gosh. Just thinking about how Nolan could find fun and happiness in the simplest things. I'll forever cherish those memories with a heartfelt smile. 🥰

 

I miss you, my Sweets. So much. 😔💜

Ashlee

June 24, 2026 at 4:07 PM

I love and miss you so much my love , life just isn't the same without you .. I'm so unhappy without you here :( always thinking of you every single day .. I miss my best friend this hurts me so much visit me in my dreams sometime plss ❤️

Ashlee Briem

April 30, 2026 at 10:41 AM

I miss you so much Nolan. The days are so hard to get through I'm really struggling .. I talk to you everyday! I really hope you hear me babe. Life is just not the same without you . I constantly watch our videos and listen to your voice mails. It makes me feel closer to you. I sleep with the grinch build a bear every single night that you got me a little before you passed. The smell of the cologne you sprayed on it is slowly going fading which makes me so sad .. I'm so grateful to have experienced your love . My aunty got a star in the sky registered in yours and my name . I'm going to buy a telescope this summer so I can look at it and think of you. It was so sweet and thoughtful for her to do that . Not a day goes by that I'm not missing you tremendously. I love you with all my heart . I love you so very much Nolan. Forever my love , forever missed by me and everyone else. Thank you for loving me and showing me how it feels to be so loved you will always be the love of my life xox

Lisa Murdock (Mom)

April 19, 2026 at 9:45 AM

Oh, my Sweets, I am so missing our sunny Sunday morning breakfasts out with you and the kids. All of us together. We still get together for breakfast out, but it's not the same. We still feel you with us though, in Spirit, which brings us some comfort and good memories to share of you. 🥰

 

You were such a kid, even though you were almost 35. 😂 Just the way you loved to eat, and loved getting a treat or something afterward, just because. 😌

 

I visit this website often, usually when I'm missing you super intensely, fighting back the pain in my throat and tears in my eyes -- and the sadness I carry in my heart. 🥹 I love watching your tribute video and absolutely love reading and re-reading all the wonderful stories and experiences people have posted about you.

 

You sure touched the lives of many people, my Sweets. You had such a kind, loving, caring, and generous soul, and it shows in the stories that are shared. I carry much pride in the man you became and all you accomplished in your short life in this world, despite the Odds that were stacked against you.

 

I often reflect on our past conversations, especially the last ones. I remember the one time you were working away, up in the mountains, and you sent me this picture with the words "sometimes I wish I could go back to this time when it was just you and me and life was good." I was so saddened by that message because I knew you were having a rough go of things, with your recent breakup and the mess that followed. I remember wishing I could just hug you or call you and let you know everything would be ok. I was also surprised that you were the one who had that picture, taken the last weekend of spring cleaning in prep for my wedding in Sandy Hook. All the times I inquired about the whereabouts of that little heart shaped framed photo and all along it was in your wallet.

 

I take comfort in knowing you carried that picture of one of our really good days in your wallet. And now, I have an image of that picture in the palm of your hard-worked hand. It hangs on my wall -- the first thing I see in the morning and last thing I see at night. 🥰

 

I miss you, my Sweets. 💜🙏🏻

Faith Fontaine

April 17, 2026 at 11:37 PM

Hello to Nolan’s family. I just wanted to post about him on here, I have been wanting to do this for a while now since I heard about his passing. I have known Nolan since we were just teenagers, we met online when we were around 15-17 years old. We started a little online fling but unfortunately never met back then because my parents were super strict. However he was my first love. I remember he was so surprised that I liked him because he was a little on the chubbier side and he said that no one has ever shown interest in him like that before hahaha, I thought it was so cute. We lost contact eventually but we reconnected back in 2018. We hung out but he didn’t like my friend that we were with so he didn’t try to come back hahaha. We did finally reconnect a couple years later, we hung out on and off. He would always randomly text me and ask to come over. I still can’t believe it’s never going to happen again. The last time I seen him in September 2024 he told me “you know I’ll always love you right” and I think deep down I knew that I would never see him again. I have so much love for him that never went away and I just wanted to let his family know how much he meant to me. I’m so sorry for your loss. May he rest in peace. I love you Nolan 💖

Melissa

March 23, 2026 at 2:33 PM

You are truly missed. The world is just a little different now that your gone. You had made a big impact. You will never been forgotten.

I'll see you soon!

Lisa Murdock (Mom)

March 6, 2026 at 6:02 PM

I sure do miss you, my Sweets. Every single moment of every single day. xoxo

Chad

January 21, 2026 at 2:58 PM

I didn’t know Nolan well or at all really. My mother and his mother were colleagues in 1991. They both ended up pregnant and Nolan and I were born a day apart in the same hospital, in the same room I believe. I was told we had play dates when we were young, too young to remember. I didn’t see Nolan again until around 05/06, our mothers tried to get us to be friends but I think we were too shy or maybe it felt too forced and we didn’t really connect. I was asked to look out for him when he came to Maples Collegiate and I did, though not for long because I remember him making friends pretty quickly. He’s popped into my head randomly throughout the years. It’s a shame we didn’t connect as kids, he seemed like a cool guy.

To Lisa, my mother gives her sympathies and love.

Melissa

January 20, 2026 at 3:09 PM

Nolan was the most beautiful soul you could ever meet. He made friends everywhere he went. He was the definition of a free spirit. He was raised to become such incredible man. he was truly loved a lot of people. He was protective of all those he loved. You could always count on Nolan to be there for you. You couldn't help but smile every time he was around. He always brightest day and could make me laugh even on the hardest days. I will miss him a lot. I will remeber all the amazing moments we had and cherish those memories forever. He will never be forgotten. I hope wherever he is, he knows how truly loved he was. We will see eachother again, I know it. Until then xoxo.

Pam Adams

January 19, 2026 at 11:53 AM

Beautiful photos, you can tell his spirit was wild and free. Such a beautiful life he had, RIP. Sending much love and healing vibes your way.

Anita (Hales) Cook

January 18, 2026 at 8:39 PM

I am so sorry to hear of Nolan's passing. My love & Prayers are with you & the family.

Ashlee Briem

January 18, 2026 at 4:29 PM

Was a beautiful slide show ❤️ Nolan wasn't just my boyffiend he was my bestfriend. I'm really missing you right now my love , I wish this was just a bad dream that we would all wake up too. Unfortunatly its not :( . Thank you for giving me the most amazing time of my life , all the laughs til our stomachs hurt , or your amazing cooking skills(hands down made the best steak i've ever tried) All our date nights that you would plan all on your own and put so much thought into them even if it was last minute . You always put everyone before yourself because you were an amazing care person. I admired your love for your family , your love for my kids and myself . You wanted nothing more than to give us good life and you did just that baby . So thank you . You were the most amazing caring generous person I've ever met and I'm so thankful that I got to be apart of your life . You have no idea how much I love you Nolan even though I would tell you multiple times a day words could never come close to describing the love I have for you. I'm going to miss you so much for the rest of my life but i find comfort in knowing your watching over me snd your loved ones you were protective like 🫶 You were and will always be the love of my life . I can't wait til the day Im with you again baby but i promise I will make you proud ❤️ fly high my handsome king

Pearl

January 17, 2026 at 4:10 PM

I still can't believe I just saw you that night. I feel our new years hug and kiss on the cheek for both you and Ashley was a blessing that I got to see your beautiful big bright smile one last time. I am sorry we didn't have more time to share Cheesie ass joke and laughter. Rest well and don't forget to pop in once and awhile and be that angel on the shoulder showing us the right right way to choose or poke us to scare the shit out us to no your presence will for ever be with us. RIP my friend miss n love you. I am also checking in on Ashley for you as she missing you soooo much. You will always be the love of her life soul mate.

Justin Zinyk

January 17, 2026 at 3:12 PM

I was absolutly floored to learn the news when i was first told. It has been a rollercoaster of emotions since finding out. There is no amounts of words i can use to describe how sorry for his parents and siblings i am.

But there are so many good memories with Nolan like Marc said, the endless amount of aimless driving around the city. Going ghost hunting or just exploring the city. Going for bike rides all over the city. All the bonfires and endless laughter we shared together will be for ever cherrished.

I hope to see you on the otherside when i get there Nolan, i love you brother!

Terra

January 17, 2026 at 11:32 AM

My most heartfelt sympathies to you, Lisa, and your family. Such a beautiful tribute to your beautiful son. I have loved hearing so many Nolan stories from you over the years. He lived well and was so loved. I know you will cherish every memory. I am sending you and yours my love.

Justin shemluk

January 17, 2026 at 1:35 AM

Wish I knew what happened I know we all had our falling outs. But so sad cant let go of all the great times Marc, zinyk, you and I had the basement. The wrestling lol bike riding, cemetery, kildonan park, perogies with hot sauce, we were all over.

 

We will miss you bigbear and I can only imagine how Marc and his mother as well as Jade are feeling. Would not want their pain.

 

Steeldragon

Tyrone McGillivary

January 16, 2026 at 9:41 PM

My main man. Gonna miss you brother. Enjoyed working with you these past 3 years. We sure had a lot of laughs. Play safe on your last and forever tour.

Justin shemluk

January 16, 2026 at 9:17 PM

Too bad gone to soon lots of good times.

 

I know you are up there still being you rest well bro.

Darian Stahl

January 16, 2026 at 5:47 PM

I recognize that smile in you, Lisa. Thank you for sharing these beautiful memories. Nolan truly seemed to have a soaring spirit. Holding you and your family in my thoughts and you have my deepest condolences.

Faith

January 16, 2026 at 5:39 PM

I am so sorry Nolan. I love you and I will miss you forever 💖

Larry & Loretta Becker

January 16, 2026 at 5:01 PM

Nolan was like a nephew to us.. sometimes he would call us auntie & uncle. We had many celebrations together with our family. We loved him and he will be greatly missed. He was such a kind and generous man. I remember one night when we heard a sound of scraping outside our window.. we looked and low and behold, it was Nolan snowblowing our driveway & sidewalk... wanted to surprise us.. Gone far too soon.

 

Christine Smith

January 16, 2026 at 4:44 PM

I absolutely loved the photos! I will miss Nolan with all my heart. Sending love and big hugs to you, Lisa, Madi and Adam.

Marc Fraser

January 16, 2026 at 4:43 PM

Nolan wasn’t just my cousin—he was my best friend. We grew up together and did just about everything side by side. From sleepovers at each other’s houses, to bus rides to Flin Flon with Grandpa, to riding our bikes all over the city, we were always together, always finding ways to make the most of the time we had.

 

Some of my favorite memories are the simplest ones—from playing Hot Wheels cars for hours as kids, to listening to Lamb of God on his PSP during lunch in high school, to driving around aimlessly with nowhere to be and nothing planned in my Blazer or his Lumina. Those moments didn’t feel important at the time, but it’s the little ones like that that I’ll cherish the most now.

 

Even as life aged us and moved us in different directions, that bond never changed. Nolan will always be a part of who I am, and I’ll always be grateful for the memories, the laughter, the adventures, and the years we got to grow up together.

 

Nolan, I hope wherever you are, you’re keeping those Dickies clean and I’ll see you when I get there, buddy.

Terri

January 16, 2026 at 4:21 PM

What a beautiful tribute and may your spirit soar.

Regine Halseth

January 16, 2026 at 3:39 PM

Lisa,

 

What a lovely tribute! I never met your son but I can see from this video his zest for life and how close you all were as a family. I know he will be deeply missed but you will cherish many lovely memories of him.

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