06/15/1983
Brent was born the son of Glen A. Haizlip (1938 – 1997)
and Rita Hill.
Survivors include his mother and father and sibblings:
Teri Carrier of Shreveport, La., Susan Gillespie of Baton Rouge, La., and Glen Haizlip of Anchorage, Alaska;
Brent Haizlip, died on June 15, 1983.
Yearbook dedication for Brent.
He is not dead, that friend; not dead, But, in the path we mortals tread,
Gone some few, trifling steps ahead, And nearer to the end; So that you, too, once
past the bend Shall meet again, as face to face, This friend Robert Lewis Stevenson
Anyone who was looked back over several copies of our school annual will notice
how often we have lost young people from our student body. In many cases the loss
occurs shortly before or after graduation. This was the case this year as everyone
was shocked to learn of the death of Brent Haizlip.
Brent completed his senior year
and, along with all of his friends, prepared for graduation. The day finally arrived
and the class of '83 received their diplomas and went out into the world to face
their futures. All, that is, except one.
Very few people knew that Brent had severe
health problems. His easy-going manner, constantly joking and entertaining others
around him, hid the way he felt inside.
Friends now feel that he realized his life
would be short, but he did not want anyone to feel sorry for him. Only a few days
passed following the graduation ceremony; Brent entered the hospital and he was
scheduled for open-heart surgery in an effort to correct the severe medical problems
that threatened his life. Unfortunately, he did not survive that surgery.
By that
evening nearly every one of his classmates learned that they had lost a friend.
In the shock and grief of the next few days, several people called the yearbook
sponsor asking about putting a special page in the annual Some of his closest friends
sent us their thoughts, which we include here.
"To know Brent was to love him. He
will always be remembered in many different ways, but most of us will remember him
for his cheerful smile and good attitude toward other people.
He lived with much
pain, but showed none at all. Even when hope seemed to fade, he showed courage that many others could not show.
He encountered many obstacles in his lifetime, but he
met them with a smile and a will to overcome them.
For those of us who knew him,
there will always be a part of Brent in us. We shall carry that with us for the
rest of our days."
"What can I say about a friend who meant so much to me? Who of
all my trusted friends could forever be. A memory I will cherish from now on, His
earthly life is over, but he will never be gone."