Troy Douglas Ekdahl

Troy Douglas Ekdahl was born on July 1, 1971, in St. Paul, Minnesota, and passed away on September 22, 2020, at the age of 49, in Willis, Texas, following an eleven month battle with brain cancer. To say he fought hard until the very end would be an understatement. Troy had a zeal for life, a spirit of joy, a contagious sense of humor, and a love for people that surpassed most others.

An avid outdoorsman, Troy spent much of his life hunting, “catching” (because "fishing" implied he wouldn’t be successful), and just generally enjoying the beauty of God’s great creation. As a boy, we remember Troy disappearing at sunrise and reappearing at sunset, usually covered head to toe in dirt…and sometimes blood. Like the time he walked home for a mile, through the dirt, with a hole in his foot from where he had punctured himself with the clutch lever of his dirt bike. Or the time he blew up fireworks in his eye and walked straight to his bathroom sink to flush them out on his own. Or the time he tried to cut himself out of an old jacket he'd gotten stuck in, stabbing himself in the bicep with a rusty pocket knife in the process. All of those incidents, by the way, required trips to the ER. Our poor mother. Troy was no stranger to the ER.

After surviving a youth filled with endless hijinx (and sister-tormenting), it’s only fitting that Troy ultimately pursued a career in...safety. He had a knack for seeing problems before they occurred. He quickly became an industry expert because he anticipated every impulsive thing a person might do…because it's exactly what he would've done, back in the day.

Troy began serving as a volunteer firefighter with the South Montgomery County Fire Department during high school, and upon graduating from Oak Ridge High School in 1989, he completed formal training at the Texas A&M Firefighters Academy, where he later served as an instructor for their volunteer training programs. Troy ultimately served for 20 years with the fire department, rising to the rank of Assistant Chief. He loved to tell harrowing stories about his adventures (and brushes with death) during this time and his time working for the Texas Forest Service. This included a trip to New Mexico to help fight wildfires in the Guadalupe Mountains, where he was blinded by the smoke and nearly stepped off the side of a cliff, as well as the time he had to jump off a bulldozer while plowing a fire break, running for his life when the fire flashed.

Troy liked to keep his guardian angels working overtime. He was struck by lightning three times, nearly died from contracting Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever -- TWICE--, and dodged a tree that fell through his house while he was making a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. Even his hobbies required the protection of angels. An expert beekeeper and honey connoisseur, Troy loved harvesting honey despite being severely allergic to bees and managed to overcome the swollen aftermath of many stings. We sure hope those guardian angels have earned an early retirement now that Troy is safely home.

Troy's career took a different path when he accepted a job as a medic at the Shell refinery in Deer Park. Eventually his experience there led him into other roles as a safety manager in the Oil and Gas and ultimately Crane Industries, where he garnered great respect from his colleagues and mentored anyone who was willing to learn. Troy also continued to work nights as a firefighter for South Montgomery County for many years so that Wanda could stay home with their young children, Katlynn and Garrett.

His children were the light of his life. If he were here today, he would say they're his greatest achievement. He loved them fiercely and supported them in every endeavor, no matter how ludicrous or short-lived. Passionate about dirt bikes? “I'll clear out a course for you around our property.” Barrel racing? “I'll fence-in a corral.” Baseball? “I'll spend every weekend at your tournaments.” Raising goats? “No problem - I'll weld a pen for the backyard.” Troy made sure to find out what was on his kids’ bucket lists and helped make it happen, including a zip-lining excursion for Garrett in Belize and swimming with dolphins for Katlynn in Florida. Troy left his children with an abundance of sweet memories with their Dad, an undeniable knowledge of his love for them, and an assurance that they will see him again someday.

Troy met the love of his life, Wanda, in 1993 through mutual friends. He pursued her for two years before his stubbornness finally overpowered hers. Wanda was finally won over by his wit and charm, and they were married on January 13, 1996. In their early days, they often could be found country western dancing, a skill Troy learned solely to impress her. As their love for each other grew, so did Troy’s uncanny ability to torment Wanda. Near the end of his battle with cancer, he tricked her into believing he had wet the bed, and he once emerged from the closet wearing only her bathrobe and his boots just to give her a laugh. We can still hear that sly chuckle he would give when he was in prankster-mode. The strength of Troy’s love for Wanda lasted until his last breath. In his final days, he would only open his eyes in response to her voice. Though he couldn’t speak, his baby blue eyes still sparkled with love for her.

Although he was always up to some sort of shenanigans, Troy was a simple guy, easy to be around, and humble. He loved a good story, loved to laugh and make others laugh, and he knew exactly what mattered most in life. Troy may have been a little wild during his teenage years -- we’ll save those stories for another time -- but he definitely loved Jesus, and how he conducted himself through his battle with cancer was a testament to the power of God working through him. When he was in ICU recovering from his first brain surgery, he remarked that he could physically feel the comfort of the Lord like never before. He knew he was being covered in prayers by all of you. He left this world knowing how fully loved he was here on earth, and with full confidence that he would be fully healed in Heaven by his Creator.

Troy is preceded in death by his four grandparents: Lester and Sigrid Glassel and Chester and Margaret Ekdahl. Troy is survived by his wife of 24 years, Wanda (Ferguson) Ekdahl, daughter Katlynn, son Garrett, parents John and Loretta Ekdahl, sisters Donelle Morse (Todd), Nicole Thibault (Matt), and Rebekah Reaves (Gary), along with four nieces and seven nephews, and more beloved family, friends and colleagues than we could possibly name. We look forward to the day that we can all be together again.

Funeral services will be held privately on Wednesday, September 30, 2020, at 2:00pm, due to Covid-19 restrictions. Service's will be available via Facebook live. Graveside will be held publicly on Wednesday, September 30, 2020, at 3:00pm, in Garden Park Cemetery, Conroe, Texas. The family has invited everyone for a celebration of Troy's life at 9741 West Shore Drive, Willis, Texas, 77318 following graveside. Family request, in lieu of flowers, please donate to Cure fest for glioblastoma or Our Brain Bank.