Patrick Brennan

Patrick was born on November 25th, 1984, in Des Moines, Iowa and adopted by Dorothy and Jerry Brennan. He attended Holy Trinity and Dowling in Des Moines and served as an altar boy in the Holy Trinity Parish. Patrick was a proud Drake alumnus as well.

Patrick Brennan met the love of his life, Stephanie Brennan, who inspired him to become a teacher so they could spend summers together raising their children. He was the heart of a loving family.

He is survived by his mothers, Dorothy Brennan and Jackie Phalen, sister, Amanda Phalen, wife, Stephanie, daughter Finnley and son Rigby. He is also survived by his in-laws Doug and Ruth Anderson and Casey (Liana) Layne, Ben and (Ruth) Layne. He was preceded in death by his father, Jerry Brennan and his two beloved dogs Mr. Dylan and Ommie. He will also be remembered by his large extended family including his beloved aunts, uncles, and cousins.

Patrick’s passion for education touched countless lives with over 13 years of teaching in the Des Moines Public School system including Meredith and Merrill Middle Schools. As an inspiring teacher, he dedicated himself to nurturing curiosity and growth in his students. His commitment was recognized this year when he received the Golden Apple Award for teaching excellence, a testament to the impact he made in the classroom and beyond.

Outside of his work and family, Patrick was a true rock star—literally and figuratively. As a member of Tough Ghost, with his two best childhood friends Tom and Will, he brought music and energy to everyone around him. His music will live on forever with his children.

Patrick left this world on October 15, 2025. Patrick poured his heart and soul into those around him. He made sure his family and his students felt loved, valued, important, and worthy of all the good things in this world. Unfortunately, this meant he didn’t save enough of this love and value for himself. He carried the world on his shoulders and for reasons unknown couldn’t find a way out of the darkness.

 If you are struggling with your mental health or feeling lost and alone, please reach out to someone and ask for help. Just like Mr. Brennan, you are loved, and the world needs you. We are surrounded by a community of love and support and thank everyone for all of their kind words, donations and taking care of all of our students who are also grieving with us. We find comfort in the fact that Patrick was an organ donor and donated his brain to University of Iowa so they can study it and help those suffering from mental health in the future. His legacy will truly live on forever through the lives of those impacted by his last wishes.

In his honor, please listen to his favorite bands, The Pogues, The Buttertones, Bob Dylan, The Beatles and countless other odd random genres. He would want everyone to be registered to vote and to remember that your vote matters in any election, big or small.

A celebration of life will be held at Merrill Middle School on Sunday, October 19th from 2-4 pm.   Words of comfort and support will begin at 2 pm, followed by an open house gathering until 4 pm.  A private gathering will take place after the service for close friends, family and fellow teachers. We will toast a cup of tea to Mr. B so don’t forget to bring your favorite mug to honor him. Wear your favorite pair of Converse, some skinny jeans, or Raybans. We are also asking any former students, current students or families to bring a letter with a story of how Mr. Brennan impacted your life so we can share these letters with his children in his absence for years to come. Finally, as Mr. Brennan would say, “Social Media is the Devil” so go outside, hang out in person with friends and build as many real-world connections as possible.