Brian R Sweeney

Brian Sweeney, 78, passed in Scottsbluff, Nebraska, October 03, 2025. He was born in Mitchell, South Dakota, on September 26, 1947, to Kenneth and Nelda (Goodbla) Sweeney. Brian was one of a kind; he was headstrong and independent with a sarcastic sense of humor. If you became his friend, you had a loyal friend for life.

Brian grew up in Mitchell, SD, where he graduated high school. He attended Dakota Wesleyan University for 2 years, then transferred to South Dakota State University where he graduated with a degree in Civil Engineering. In grade school and college, Brian met several close friends he sustained relationships with throughout his entire life. His childhood and college friendships led him on many adventures including spending a summer traveling across Europe, fishing trips in Canada, annual hunting trips in South Dakota and plenty of mischief along the way. Brian’s friends were extremely important to him. During college, Brian met his future wife, Rojean Berry. They married on February 9, 1974.

Brian graduated college and became a Registered Professional Engineer. His job led him to work in Chicago, Illinois, Denver, Colorado and Deadwood, South Dakota. He then moved to Scottsbluff, Nebraska, where he and another engineer started a private engineering firm, Baker/Sweeney and Associates. After 10 successful years with the company, Brian made a job change and became a stockbroker for Edward D. Jones. This took him to Colby, Kansas. While there, an opportunity arose to work at the F.E.Warren Air Force Base in Cheyenne, Wyoming; he was there for a short time. Brian had previously purchased land in Scottsbluff, Nebraska, where he envisioned raising his family. When a position as City Engineer and Public Works Director in neighboring Gering, Nebraska, became available, Brian was eager to return to the panhandle. In his 20 years as City Engineer and Gering’s Public Works Director, he left a legacy of helping improve Gering’s water, sanitation, schools and recreation facilities.

Brian cared deeply about his community, and as a part of his commitment he was the lead on several projects. He helped the Gering Fire Department add an addition and was instrumental in the new city office building and council chamber. He was the driving force in the City of Gering taking over sanitation services, helping with major water renovation projects such as the new well field and storage facilities. He was also involved in the construction and design of the RV Park and Five Rocks Amphitheater, a major upgrade of the Gering Golf Course, improvements to the residential areas around the golf course, new public works facilities infrastructure, and operations to centralize the work force to better serve citizens of Gering. After 20 years as the City Engineer and Public Works Director, he worked for the Gering School system and oversaw the construction at Lincoln Elementary school.

In 1978, Brian and Rojean started a family with the birth of their son Chad. Then in 1979, the family grew with the birth of surprise twins, Holly and Heather. Five years later, the family became complete with the birth of Lisa. Brian loved his family and taught his children to be hardworking and independent. He always has several projects around the house and outdoors; he had a vision like no other. If Brian showed up at your house, by the time he left you may have a new shelf, shed, or deck. He showed his love by building and fixing things for others. When he returned to Nebraska as Gering’s City Engineer, he designed and helped build his dream home out in the country with beautiful views of the city lights (for Rojean), Scottsbluff National Monument, and the nature that surrounds it.

In his retirement, Brian fulfilled another dream when he purchased a summer lake house in northern Minnesota. Brain was a do-it-yourselfer; he always had a project, or several, in the works even at the lake. This lake house created a place for family and friends to gather. Countless memories are made there.

His children will always look back on many evenings spent playing cards with dad, first as children and then as adults, and somehow dad tended to win most of the time. He cherished his role as grandpa, and his world revolved around his grandchildren. Both his children and grandchildren recall grandpa always being willing to take them out on the pontoon to swim or tube, bike rides, ice cream or whatever they wanted to do. If you had an Oreo, Grandpa was an expert at teaching you how to dunk it in milk perfectly.

Brian is survived by his wife of 51 years, Rojean; three children: Chad (Allison) Sweeney of Northfield, MN, Heather (Carl) Stortz of Nerstrand, MN, Lisa (Adam) Freeburg of Gering, NE; his son-in-law Mike Blackwood of Fort Collins, CO, his grandchildren: Weston Sweeney, Reese Sweeney, Brendan Sweeney, Izzy Blackwood, Ellinor Stortz, August Stortz, Jazzlyn Freeburg, and Katelyn Freeburg.

He was preceded in death by his beloved daughter, Holly (Mike) Blackwood; granddaughter, Kristen Stortz; infant brother, Keith Sweeney; parents, Nelda and Kenneth Sweeney; uncle and aunt, Ed and Shirley Schaffer; and several good hunting dogs.