Michael Jeffrey Bruggink ’27 passed away at the age of 43 in Pattaya, Thailand, as the result of an unexpected accident on June 4, 2024. Bruggink finished his first year at the University in May as a member of Wesleyan’s Warrior Scholar Program, which equips service members and veterans for success in higher education. Bruggink impacted campus on the rugby pitch, through his work on student films, and in his discussions in philosophy courses. Before enrolling in the University, Bruggink served in the U.S. Army from 2001—2005, including tours in Iraq and North Korea. In his own telling, that was the last year he worked for someone else. 

After military service, he bought a bar in Thailand. Then a gym. Then he moved to the Philippines, where he said he became a “semi-celebrity” as an actor. In the 2011 film “The Girl with No Number,” Bruggink’s IMDb credit is listed as “hunky guy.” He knew he was one.

“He entered university well past the age at which most freshmen move into their dorms,” Bruggink’s official obituary wrote. “[By May,] Mike told his sister that everyone knew him on campus.”

The obituary below is a collection of messages from campus leaders and Bruggink’s friends.

Desaree Edwards ’25, President of the Wesleyan Veteran Students Organization:

Mike’s passing was a devastating loss to our veteran community on campus, one that I think we’re all still processing as school starts again. Mike really had an unmatched and contagious voracity for life that inspired those around him. He was so excited to be a part of the Wesleyan community, and he was loved by those that had the pleasure of meeting him. As veterans, we often find kinship with others who have served in the military, and losing one of our fellow veterans is particularly painful. Mike lived an incredible life, and our community hopes to honor his life by keeping his memory in our hearts. 

The Men’s Rugby Team:

Michael Bruggink approached rugby like every other aspect of his life, full of contagious enthusiasm and a willingness to try new things. His stories were beyond belief and captured the imagination of anyone he interacted with. Any other 43-year-old would have thought twice about pursuing a sport such as rugby with no prior experience, but not Mike. He came to every practice, every game, and every social event as he found his place within the Wesleyan community. We miss him greatly and try to remember the energy he brought into the world every time we step onto the pitch.

President Michael Roth ’78:

Mike Bruggink was an extraordinary student, and I feel his loss acutely. We talked several times outside of class, and I sensed that he believed that Wesleyan had offered him a new start on life. I am so sorry that this start was cut short. Mike was a man of intense appetites combined with a deep curiosity for learning. He might come to class with a black eye from a Rugby hit, but he always came with a smile and with questions that were thoughtful and heartfelt.

Mike had pre-registered for my class in the spring, and when I recently saw his name on my class list for this semester, my heart sank. What a loss! Bold yet gracious, he will be missed by his many friends here. I include myself among them.

**

In an interview with The Argus, Chaplain Tracy Mehr-Muska described the unfamiliar and difficult process of grief on college campuses.

“Even if two people both identify as good friends of Mike’s, they’re going to experience it differently based on a million different factors, like their own grief history, their own coping strategies, and their own perceptions of death and dying,” Mehr-Muska said. “We tend to compare ourselves against other people. ‘Why are they doing so well? Or, why are they falling apart? And why am I not falling apart? Why do I not feel all those feelings I’m supposed to be feeling?’”

But Mehr-Muska also offered advice to students experiencing grief, and hope for an easier path ahead.

“It’s a process, and it gets easier, and that’s what I invite people to live into—this reality, this hope that it gets easier,” Mehr-Muska said.

Last May, I had the opportunity to sit down for an informal interview with Bruggink. We discussed his time at the University, his childhood, and his active service. But Bruggink might be best known on campus for the weeks he spent as a civilian in Afghanistan after his military service. In 2011, armed with an AK-47 and a motorcycle, he flew to the Middle East, his gaze set on personally capturing Osama bin Laden.

“I didn’t really think I could get the guy,” Bruggink said. “But I thought at least there’s a chance…. Somewhere in the middle is a really cool story.”

Like many students he met, I was and remain inspired by his determination, warmth, generosity, and desire to extract great meaning from life.

“I was pretty fortunate to survive, and then when I got out, I just felt like I won the lottery,” Bruggink told me. “The rest of my life is house money.”

Students in need of support should contact Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) at (860) 685-2910 or the Office of Religious and Spiritual Life (ORSL). Faculty and staff who need support may contact the Employee Assistance Program at (800) 854-1446. 

Thomas Lyons can be reached at trlyons@wesleyan.edu.