<div>On Sunday,  September 6, 2026, our dear friend Austin passed away at just 33 years old after spending the past week on life support following a tragic accident. In the midst of unimaginable heartbreak, Austin became an organ donor. His heart, liver, and kidneys were donated, giving other people the chance at more time with the people they love.
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<div>Austin, or "Soppa" as so many knew him, was loved throughout the Milwaukee (and Nashville and Cincinnati) music and service industry communities. He was simply a great guy. He brought a positive energy with him everywhere he went and always seemed to have time for someone else. He’d stop to talk, check in, lend a hand, make you laugh, or just make sure you were having a good day. He had a way of making people feel like they were important, and that was something everyone who knew him will remember.
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<div>Megan prepared a letter to be read to the transplant surgeons in the OR. With her permission, I’ve shared a few excerpts from that letter below.
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<div><strong>“Before you begin, our family wants you to know who is lying in front of you.</strong>
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<div><strong>His name is Austin. He is 33 years old, and he is so much more than an organ donor.</strong>
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<div><strong>Austin is a son, a little brother, a nephew, an uncle, and a best friend to more people than we could probably ever count. To my kids, Penelope and Leo, he was simply Uncle. He was their only uncle, and they were his entire world. To me, he will always be my little brother.</strong>
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<div><strong>Some people say everyone has a mountain to climb in life. There’s a famous song that says, “Lord, you have gave me a mountain…” and sometimes it truly felt like Austin was given a mountain he couldn’t climb.</strong>
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<div><strong>Austin lost his dad when he was only 12 years old.</strong>
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<div><strong>Then, at 17, he lost his mom.</strong>
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<div><strong>He experienced more loss before becoming an adult than many people experience in a lifetime. Grief was something he carried with him for the rest of his life.</strong>
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<div><strong>But despite everything life handed him, Austin kept his head up and kept moving forward.</strong>
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<div><strong>…</strong>
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<div><strong>If you asked his friends to describe him, the same words have come up over and over this week:</strong>
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<div><strong>Loyal. Protective. Resilient. Loving. Positive. Funny. Independent. A true DAWG. </strong>
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<div><strong>And always the first one to say, “I love you, man.” Or give you a thumbs up from across the room. </strong>
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<div><strong>The number of people who love Austin is no surprise or coincidence. People connected with him everywhere he went. His friends became his family, and he touched more lives than I think he ever realized.</strong>
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<div><strong>Just a couple of months ago, a friend happened to run into him in Nashville. Austin told her:</strong>
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<div><strong>“I’m ready for something different. I want to help people.”</strong>
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<div><strong>And somehow, even at the end of his life, Austin gets to do exactly what he said he wanted to do:</strong>
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<div><strong>Help people. </strong>
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<div><strong>Somewhere, families who have been waiting, hoping, and praying are about to receive a call that changes everything because of Austin.”</strong>
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<div>We are creating this fundraiser to help Megan and her family navigate the many unexpected expenses that come with an unimaginable loss like this. There are costs we know about now and others we haven't even anticipated, and we want to do everything we can to lessen the financial burden while Megan carries the emotional weight of losing her brother.
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<div>If you knew Austin, loved him, listened to his music, watched his videos, or simply want to help Megan through this heartbreaking time, please consider donating or sharing this fundraiser.
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<div>And perhaps the most fitting words to end with are Austin’s own, the words he ended every one of his “30 Days of Soppa” videos with:
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<div>“Have a great day.”
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<div>We love you, Austin. Forever.
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Benjamin Elliott

Bryan Gorelik

Jonathan Newby

Anonymous

Jordan Kolata

Shawn Davis

Janet Kopacz

Jacob Meils

Michael soppa

Nathaniel Garcia

Pamela Gulsvig

Jennifer Ward

Heidi Nagler

Stephanie Major

Monica Zevallos

Olivia Ruuska

Kamisha McNealey

Michelle Reichhart

Bryan Garay

In Memory of Austin Soppa - Our Legend

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