Brennen Chase Saele, a 17-year-old from New Lenox, Illinois, died unexpectedly on Saturday, September 19, 2026, at Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Chicago. His death has left his family, classmates, friends, and members of his community mourning the loss of a teenager remembered for his kindness, warmth, smile, and ability to make people feel welcome.
His death was announced through Kurtz Memorial Chapel, which published his obituary and funeral arrangements. The obituary describes Brennen as someone who loved his family and friends deeply and enjoyed spending time with the people closest to him. His family said his joyful personality and caring nature would remain part of the memories shared by those who knew him.
Who Was Brennen Saele?
Brennen Saele was a senior at Lincoln-Way Central High School in New Lenox. During his time at the school, he participated as a Peer Buddy with the Best Buddies Program. The program focuses on creating friendships, inclusion, and meaningful connections between students.
His involvement with Best Buddies is an important part of the story shared in his obituary because it reflects the connections he built with other students. The family specifically named the Best Buddies Program at Lincoln-Way Central as one of the organizations people may support in his memory.
The official obituary remembers Brennen as a person who made others feel cared for simply by being himself. His family described his smile, laugh, and joyful spirit as qualities that people would continue to remember after his death.
At only 17 years old, Brennen was still preparing for the next stage of his life. He was completing his senior year of high school when he died. His passing therefore represents not only the loss of a son, brother, grandson, nephew, cousin, and friend, but also the loss of a young person whose adult years were still ahead of him.
Brennen Saele Family
Brennen was the son of Michael and Genesis Saele and the brother of Landen Saele. His grandparents were Marty and Sheila Saele and the late Rita Gaulin, according to the published obituary.
His family also included his aunts and uncles Gina Lacny and her husband Frank, Pete Saele and his wife Sheri, Jason Scapardine and his wife Christine, and Angela Scapardine and her partner Mark D’Andrea.
The obituary also names several cousins, including Frankie, Marissa, and Andrew Lacny; Peter, Gia, and Carina Saele; Henry and Kate Scapardine; and Austin D’Andrea. Beyond his relatives, the family said Brennen leaves behind many friends who loved him dearly.
The large number of relatives and friends mentioned in the obituary gives some sense of the close network surrounding Brennen. His family emphasized the time he spent with people he loved and the care he showed toward those around him.
What Happened to Brennen Saele?
The official obituary states that Brennen passed away unexpectedly on September 19, 2026, at Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Chicago. It does not provide a detailed medical account of what happened before his death.
Recent local reporting has provided additional information about the circumstances. Patch reported that Brennen lived with vascular Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome, commonly called vEDS, a rare genetic condition. The report said his mother, Genesis, also has the condition and discussed the medical emergency that preceded his death.
According to that report, Brennen experienced pain near his clavicle shortly before he was taken to the hospital. His mother told Patch that doctors discovered an aneurysm involving an artery behind his clavicle and that the aneurysm later ruptured. Patch reported that she said the rupture caused his death. These medical details come from that family’s account as reported by Patch and are separate from the shorter description in the official funeral-home obituary.
Because the official obituary itself describes his death simply as unexpected, readers should distinguish between what the funeral home officially states and the additional details reported by the local news outlet. There is no need to add an unverified explanation beyond those documented accounts.
Brennen Saele and Vascular Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome
The official obituary confirms that Brennen lived with vascular Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome and directs memorial donations toward an organization that supports people and families affected by genetic conditions, including vEDS.
Vascular Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome is a genetic condition that can affect connective tissue and blood vessels. In Brennen’s case, the condition is relevant because his family identified it as something he lived with and because the memorial information specifically mentions it.
The published obituary does not attempt to provide a full medical history. Instead, its main focus is Brennen’s life, his relationships, his school community, and the qualities his family wants people to remember.
His School Life at Lincoln-Way Central
Brennen was a senior at Lincoln-Way Central High School in New Lenox. His role as a Peer Buddy with the school’s Best Buddies Program was specifically highlighted in his obituary.
That connection also continues through the family’s memorial requests. Rather than asking only for traditional floral tributes, the family identified the Best Buddies Program at Lincoln-Way Central as one of two organizations that people can support in Brennen’s memory.
The choice reflects an aspect of Brennen’s school experience that his family considered meaningful. It also gives classmates, teachers, friends, and others who knew him a way to honor his memory through a program connected to his time at school.
How Brennen Saele Is Remembered
The official obituary places strong emphasis on Brennen’s personality. His family remembered him as someone who loved deeply, welcomed others, and made people feel cared for. His smile and laugh are among the personal qualities specifically mentioned.
The obituary also describes Brennen as someone who valued time with his family and friends. Rather than focusing only on his age or the circumstances of his death, the tribute centers on the relationships that shaped his life.
That message is important when remembering someone who died at 17. Brennen’s life included family relationships, friendships, school activities, and his involvement with the Best Buddies Program. Those parts of his life form the basis of the official tribute published after his death.
Brennen Saele Funeral and Visitation Details
Family and friends are scheduled to gather for Brennen’s visitation on Sunday, September 27, 2026, from 2:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at Kurtz Memorial Chapel, located at 102 E. Francis Road in New Lenox, Illinois.
A Mass is scheduled for Monday, September 28, 2026, at 10:30 a.m. at St. Jude Catholic Church, located at 241 West 2nd Avenue in New Lenox.
These arrangements were published by Kurtz Memorial Chapel and are also listed by Legacy and Echovita.
| Funeral Information | Details |
|---|---|
| Name | Brennen Chase Saele |
| Born | December 20, 2008 |
| Died | September 19, 2026 |
| Age | 17 |
| Hometown | New Lenox, Illinois |
| Visitation | September 27, 2026, 2:00 p.m.–8:00 p.m. |
| Visitation Location | Kurtz Memorial Chapel, 102 E. Francis Road, New Lenox |
| Mass | September 28, 2026, at 10:30 a.m. |
| Mass Location | St. Jude Catholic Church, 241 West 2nd Avenue, New Lenox |
| School | Lincoln-Way Central High School |
| Memorial Organizations | The Marfan Foundation and Best Buddies Program at Lincoln-Way Central |
Memorial Donations for Brennen Saele
The family has asked that people consider memorial donations instead of flowers. Two organizations were specifically named in the official obituary: The Marfan Foundation and the Best Buddies Program at Lincoln-Way Central High School.
The Marfan Foundation was identified because it supports people and families affected by genetic conditions, including vascular Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome, the condition Brennen lived with. The Best Buddies Program was named because of his involvement with the program at Lincoln-Way Central.
These memorial choices connect directly to two parts of Brennen’s story: his experience living with a genetic condition and his role in a school program centered on friendship and inclusion.
Remembering Brennen Chase Saele
Brennen Saele’s death on September 19, 2026, ended the life of a 17-year-old who was still in his senior year of high school. His official obituary presents him first through the people he loved and the people who loved him.
He is remembered as Michael and Genesis Saele’s son, Landen’s brother, and a cherished member of a large extended family. He is also remembered as a student at Lincoln-Way Central, a Peer Buddy, and a friend to many people in the New Lenox community.
The official tribute emphasizes his smile, laugh, kindness, and joyful spirit. Those details provide a picture of how his family wants his life to be remembered beyond the circumstances surrounding his death.
As family and friends gather for visitation and his funeral Mass, Brennen’s memory will remain connected to the relationships he formed at home, at school, and among his wider community. His family has also provided two organizations through which people can honor his life and support causes connected to his experiences.
Final Note on the Brennen Saele Obituary
The confirmed obituary information identifies Brennen Chase Saele as a 17-year-old New Lenox resident who died unexpectedly on September 19, 2026, at Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Chicago. The funeral home confirms his family, school, community involvement, memorial organizations, visitation, and Mass arrangements.
Additional circumstances surrounding his death have been reported by Patch through an interview with his mother. Those details should be understood as reported family information rather than as a longer medical explanation contained in the official obituary itself.
Brennen’s family has chosen to focus his memorial on the qualities that defined his relationships with others: love, friendship, kindness, inclusion, and joy. At 17, he leaves behind parents, a brother, grandparents, extended family members, classmates, and friends who will remember the life he shared with them.
