Brian K. Vaillancourt

1953 - 2026

Owatonna - Brian K. Vaillancourt passed away on January 26, 2026, at Benedictine Living in Owatonna, MN. He was 72.

Brian was born in 1953 to Ruby and Fred Vaillancourt in Wauwautosa, WI. He spent most of his childhood in West Allis, WI, where he lived so close to the Milwaukee Zoo; the animals could be heard from his house. More than once, escaped animals were found in the family's yard and he, along with his brothers and cousins, were known to make after-hour visits to the zoo.

Upon graduation, he enlisted in the US Army in 1972. He completed basic training at Fort Leonard Wood, MO, and with additional signal corps training in Georgia, he was ultimately stationed at Schofield Barracks in Oahu, HI. During his time in Hawaii, he worked in communications between Vietnam and the U.S. Upon his discharge, he sent his red Chevy convertible back to the U.S. mainland, only for it to be dropped in the ocean as it was being unloaded at the port in California.

Brian attended Brigham Young University in Provo, UT, and Mankato State University in Mankato, MN. He spent over 35 years with Truth Hardware in the IT department and was responsible for the successful Y2K transition on December 31, 1999.

He was a fan of the architecture of Frank Lloyd Wright and the BBC's Dr Who. He enjoyed grilling meats from Steve's Meat Market, providing his children unusual adventures which included visits to nuclear power plants, naval submarines, flights in a 1930's passenger plane, the Biggest Ball of Twine in Minnesota, and remodeling his homes to be period appropriate. His daughters spent countless Saturdays alongside him removing old wallpaper from the walls of their Victorian home on East Broadway in Owatonna.

Brian was preceded in death by his parents, his infant twin brother, his older brother, Gene Vaillancourt, a nephew, and his beloved aunt, Genevieve Behreandt.

He is survived by his three children, Charlotte Vaillancourt of Bigfork, MT, Christina (and Tony) Davis of Rochester, MN, and Alex Vaillancourt of Owatonna, as well as grandchildren, Ethan, Elise, and Lauren Davis. Other surviving family members are his brother, Gary (and Priscilla) Vaillancourt, his sisters, Juliann (and Bernie) Dul and Dianne Sharpe, his sister-in-law, Debbie Vaillancourt, along with many nieces and nephews.

A visitation will be held on Monday, February 2, 2026, from 3:00 PM - 6:00 PM at Brick-Meger Funeral Home (1603 Austin Road, Owatonna).

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorials be made to the Owatonna VFW or the Steele County Humane Society. The family thanks the staff of Dawn Wing at Benedictine Living for their compassionate care of Brian during his final months.

For more information or to leave an online message of condolence, go to www.megercares.com