I worked alongside Brian in a biology lab that he taught this past semester. He was incredibly kind and such a pleasure to work with. He never hesitated to ask me for feedback, compliment my work, or give me helpful suggestions for improvement. Although I didn't know him very long, I was immediately impressed with his kindness and ambition--it takes a special person to achieve everything that he did. I was incredibly saddened to hear about his passing. My thoughts and prayers are with him and his family.

I am saddened to hear of the passing of Brian. He was a trombone player for us in the Colorado Honor Band and even traveled with us to the east coast. Brian was a wonderful musician and liked to have fun. May he Rest In Peace. 

Brian was a longtime member of the Colorado Honor Band. He was a wonderful trombone player who was uniquely focused and determined to be the best musician he could be. Brian and his family made so many positive contributions to the organization. We are very saddened to know that he has passed, the world is missing out on a fine young man. May peace be with Brian and his family. 

Dear Brian,
In celebration of your life well-lived and the positive difference you made in so many lives.  Our thoughts and prayers go with you, Hank, Cathryn and your family and friends. May you rest in peace in Heaven forever.  J.J. and Beverly Johnston

I don't have a specific moment that comes directly to mind, but rather a collection of images, feelings and sounds (his voice speaking and through his trombone).  Pervading all this was an overwhelming sense of warmth, kindness, a gentle and sincere spirit.  Brian had an eagerness to learn, an eagerness to connect and bond.  He has certainly touched me and for the time I have been privileged to spend with him, I will always be grateful.

Joseph Martin

Brian always came to the clinic at Denver Animal Shelter ready to work. He was eager to learn and he was never afraid to get his hands dirty.  It was great to see how enthusiastic he was to be at the clinic each and every time.  All the staff at the shelter will miss Brian dearly.



I did not know Brian personally. I am currently a first year student at LSU School of Veterinary Medicine. When I heard the tragic news, I came here to read about him and then I saw his application essay. From what I read, your son was a force to be reckoned with, and he would have been a perfect fit into our school. This newest class will always have a piece of them missing, but I’m sure that he will always serve as a driving force to be better. While Brian may not have stepped foot on the campus or taken a class yet, he was a Tiger. He was already a part of our Tiger community at LSUSVM, and I want to send out my deepest condolences to his friends and family for your loss. 

Brian participated in an internship at Denver Animal Shelter and did additional volunteer hours. Mostly he worked in the vet clinic, but he also helped with our free vaccine clinics to the public in low in come neighborhoods. He was always a friendly face in the shelter. Our staff appreciated all his hard work and his many hours helping us care for the animals at the shelter. I always enjoyed when he would stop by my office and chat for a few minutes. He was so sweet and would always just check in to see how everything was going. I really appreciated that about him. Since he left the program, I have missed seeing him around. All of us here at Denver Animal Shelter are so saddened by this loss. We miss you Brian. Thank you for everything! Rest in peace <3

Brian was a former classmate of mine in the PSM in Zoo, Aquarium, and Animal Shelter Management program at CSU. Through my brief time in the program, he would sit next to me every day in class. He always brought such a positive energy to the class and would ask how I was doing. A truly sweet and compassionate person to his core. I am so sad to hear of his passing. My thoughts are with him and his family.

I remember Brian back from Brisbane, where we used to do the Marine Biology course together. 
As a part of that course we also visited the Great Barrier Reef Research Station as well, working on a project about corals and algae in the most astonishing environment.

I can clearly recall Brian's attentive, courteous attitude towards all of us and his dedicated, wholehearted smile. 

Rest in peace Brian.

I did not know Brian personally, but I am a current first year at LSU SVM. From reading the obituary and memories shared by his peers and loved ones, I have no doubt that Brian 100% belonged here with us at LSU. To think of all the great things he has done and achieved, as well as what he could have gone on to do in his career is heartbreaking. The class of 2024 will forever be missing a bright light, and we will forever consider Brian a tiger, though we did not have the chance to experience this journey with him. I wish I could have met him, and I offer my condolences and prayers to everyone in this time. 

I didn’t know Brian personally but I’m a current first year student at LSUs school of veterinary medicine. I just wanted to express my condolences because it breaks my heart to hear the news about an incoming classmate. I know firsthand the hard work and dedication required to get accepted to an out of state veterinary school. It’s an enormous task and he had so much to be proud of.  I only wish he got to experience the crazy, fulfilling rush that vet school brings. I‘m sure he would have excelled and loved every minute of it. I wish I had gotten the chance to meet him. 

Brian touched the heart of many including mine. Actually I never had the privilege of meeting this kind , caring extraordinarily brilliant young man. He worked with my daughter Suzan Koch and she would often tell me funny stories and his love for animals and how hard he worked. And his beautiful caring nature for people and animals. She was sad when he left Tucson but they kept in touch even after he left. I would often ask Suzan if she had heard from Brian and she had told me he was excepted into school to be a Veterinarian We were both excited for him because we knew what a great Veterinarian he would be. I am so saddened and heartbroken over his passing. My heart is so heavy for his family. My prayers and love to all of his friends as well . He had many,  and believe me he was loved. ❤️❤️🙏🙏

I had the privilege to work with Brian at Clearwater Marine Aquarium. He was 
Such a kind person who loved his work. Such a huge loss to the world, taken way too soon.  May his beautiful memories bring his family some comfort at this difficult time. Rest In Peace young man

Part 3 of 3
However, I aspire to become a marine mammal veterinarian and thus LSU would be a great fit for me personally because my research on your curriculum found that the school offers several courses pertaining to exotic and marine mammal medicine. In my findings, I learned that LSU has strong connections with organizations such as the Audubon Zoo. These connections along with my hard work will allow for the opportunity of employment post-graduation. I look forward to making ties within Baton Rouge, and establishing the foundation for long-term residency in the great state of Louisiana. This will hopefully set me on the course of a fulfilling and demanding career. I look forward to my admission into the vet school at LSU where a symbiotic relationship would develop, it would prove mutually beneficial towards my development as a veterinarian and to the LSU vet program as a whole.

Part 2 of 3
have also completed a Professional Science Master's degree at CSU which focuses on developing professionalism skills within the context of animal organizations in addition to the conventional knowledge-based science classes. I obtained a nonprofit management certification which gave me insight into the business side of an animal organization. I took courses focused on financial development, volunteer management, and nonprofit program development. I also mastered public speaking and presentation skills through earning an interpretative guide certification with the National Association for Interpretation. Furthermore, I acquired experience with farm animals by becoming a team lead for the Research Animal Socialization program where I helped undergraduate students utilize positive reinforcement techniques to train animals. LSU embraces diversity and I bring a lot of unique perspectives due to my personal experiences on my path to veterinary medicine. This includes time spent in marine research and marine mammal training, in addition to the more standard clinical experience I have acquired through privately owned practices and municipal shelters. I am currently completing my master's project at the Denver Animal Shelter where I am analyzing how the behavioral scores dogs obtain on the Pueblo Canine Assessment Tool relate to their relinquishment rates post-adoption. I am also interning in their vet clinic under the guidance of a collection of reputable veterinarians. During my time there I have ascertained how rewarding a career in small animal medicine would be. Louisiana has an animal intake higher than the national average which will allow for me to have the opportunity to make a positive impact on the lives of numerous animals. 

Brian wrote this essay as part of his application to the LSU School of Veterinary Medicine. 1 of 2

I have experienced the immense impact veterinarians have on the lives of both animals and humans as they advocate for animal welfare, maintain the human-animal bond, and provide a high
quality of life for full-time residents whom are under their care. I am intrinsically motivated to give back to others in this way. Julia Heald, my mentor at the Clearwater Marine Aquarium, once told me "Our quality of care is their quality of life". This quote at the time inspired me to go the extra mile in the care of our resident bottlenose dolphins, but today reminds me of the powerful impact veterinarians are able to have and the extreme importance of continuous growth. As such, I am committed to earning a doctorate in veterinary medicine so that I am able to continue learning about the complex field of veterinary medicine. I have the ability to critically think, work under pressure, collaborate with teams and pay attention to detail. All of this is conducive to becoming a veterinarian and I welcome the challenge ahead. I am aware of the sacrifices I will need to make, and complete dedication necessary to be successful at LSU SVM. I have had to work extremely hard to get to where I am today, having developed fantastic study skills and an immense work ethic while juggling academics, internships, employment and a personal life. I have discovered how important maintaining a work-life balance is during my experience as a graduate student and know I will be able to endure the rigorous DVM program. I have also developed strong communicative and leadership skills during my time as a teaching assistant and by partaking in a variety of internships where I have gotten the opportunity to work with numerous professionals within the field of animal husbandry. The strong communication skills I have developed will be essential in collaborating with peers within the class of 2020.

Brian was that rare thing – a truly nice person. I worked with Brian as his supervisor for four semesters as he taught sections of the Life102 labs. Brian truly cared about his students. He would quickly learn their names and then work hard to share information with them. Brian was a quiet guy, but he pushed himself to teach because he wanted his students to succeed and he cared about the work he did. He used little touches of humor to help hold their interest and it was obvious when I sat in on Brian’s lab that all his students felt that he was a safe person to ask questions. I asked Brian one time if he’d like to switch to teaching a different class the next semester. He immediately said no, and that he liked Life102 because he felt like he got to affect students who were just starting their career in a way that could make a difference regarding their feelings about science. 

In the weekly TA meetings, Brian became my ‘reminder’ person. It’s tough to remember all the little bits and pieces I needed to share with the TA’s. I noticed early that Brian always remembered details, so I asked him to remind me of anything I’d skipped. He blushed, but he did an excellent job of backing me up this way every week in the meetings. He gave tons of great hints and tips to help the new TA’s as well. I’m attaching a photo of Brian at one of our TA meetings – probably right before he reminded me of something!

For this spring semester, I wasn’t able to offer Brian a spot as a TA until the first week of January. When I called him and he said hello, I said “Brian, do you know why I’m calling you?” His voice showed he was clearly happy and he said “To offer me a job?”. When I had offered (and he accepted), he told me that he had just gotten out of an interview for vet school and that he thought it had gone well. He talked about it a bit and he had joy in his voice.

I will miss Brian. He was a great guy and I’m glad he was able to work with 48 students for each of four semesters. 


Brian was a beloved grandson. These few words are also from his grandmother who cannot be with us today but also loved Brian very, very much. From our perspective Brian was an extremely intelligent, kind, caring and loving person who could converse with us on almost any topic including science, music, sports and his future career as a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine. He had a great sense of humor and appreciation of the ironic.

My wife and I enjoyed our annual Combined Thanksgiving /Christmas  trips to Colorado to be with Brian and his family. We would play different games, go to movies, attend musicals but most of all enjoyed being with family and enjoying their many kindnesses and companionship. Brian was always an active participant and a delight to be with. His kind and loving demeanor will never be forgotten.
                 
One memory that We will never forget was during a trip to Florida while at Disney World. We suddenly lost Brian and were quite worried about him when we discovered he had found some steps leading up to a cross walk and wasn’t in the least concerned or perplexed. He was just an active and curious young man. This characterized his entire life such that although he is longer with us he is with us in spirit and will never be forgotten.

Brian,  we love you and you will be missed greatly by all.


Brian was such a kind soul. I sat next to him in class every day our first year of the PSM program and we bonded over our love for dogs and cats. He was always talking about music and how amazing it would be to become a vet. I always supported him in his dreams and I will miss him dearly. 

Brian was my instructor for a Biology lab at Colorado State and although I didn't know him well on a personal level, he was one of the most helpful and caring instructors I have had during my time at CSU. He was always smiling, cheerful and wonderfully friendly. You could always tell that he truly cared for his students and enjoyed the work he was doing. He was one of those rare instructors that made you feel he believed in you, was always willing to answer a question and went out of his way to make sure each person in the class was on the same page and understood the information. He will be greatly missed.  

Brian was my Biology Lab Instructor at CSU this spring semester. I have never been good at science classes, especially lab based ones. Somehow, thanks to Brians help, I have a 97% in the class. He knew how to teach lab and how to help those of us who aren't science brained. I didn't know him well personally but as an instructor, he was a light during our Wednesday night lab. My condolences and prayers to those closest to him.

Brian came to our first Thanksgiving in our house in Loveland; part of our daughter, Suzie’s masters class. It was a fun evening. Seemed a group of newbies in a new place!
My main contact with Brian, through my daughter, but I remember him as a sweet man with a good sense of humor. So sorry to lose him so soon.

Brian was a wonderful part of the PSM family and we were all so fortunate to have him in our lives. My family was also fortunate enough to meet Brian, as he came to our family Thanksgiving in 2018. He played board games with my family and they really enjoyed sharing that time with him.

We shared similar passions for marine animals, especially sea turtles. I always loved hearing his stories about the rescues and rehabilitations he helped with in Florida. He always had something incredibly intelligent to add to each conversation. We will all miss him so much and are very thankful for the time we had together.

I am including a photo that I took of our group on our first field trip to Denver Zoo last year when we were first getting to know one another.



While I was attending the Air Force Academy, Brian and his family (my Aunt, Uncle, and cousins) took me in on the weekends so I could get some much needed rest and relaxation. Some of my most fond memories came from that time in my life. When I wasn't relaxing in the hot tub or around the house, I was either Skiing in the Rockies with Brain and my Uncle or playing games with him and his sister, Shannon.  Brian was around 8 years old at that time, so we would spend hours playing hot wheels, ping pong, tag, wrestling, and foosball. I remember one time while skiing, his Dad and I lost him on a ski run at Winter Park/Mary Jane. It took us a good 20-30 minutes to find him after splitting up to look for him down the slope. While it was quite the scare, we all had a good laugh afterwards (we went skiing around 17 times that year, so losing him once was not too bad). Brian was always great to be around. I will forever cherish the time I was blessed to spend with him. He didn't understand or know it at that time, but having cousin a like him to hang out with on the weekends helped me to take my mind off the many challenges of Academy life.  Looking forward to that weekly R&R with him and his whole family is what got me through the hardest part as a Preppy and 4-Degree. Thank you Brian. Love you buddy. 

I feel very lucky to have met Brian through the PSM program. There is no doubt in my mind that there is a greater reason our paths crossed. His passion for animals radiated through him and his work and he would have been a wonderful veterinarian. We are going to miss him so much. 

Brian and I both shared a love for the veterinary field. I did not share the same dream of becoming a veterinarian like Brian, but I do have a lot of experience in the field. This was the one topic that I could actually answer questions for Brian or give him advice. Normally, he was the one answering my questions or giving me advice. Brian was always helping people and I am happy I was able to help him in some way because he truly deserved it. I really enjoyed getting to know Brian over the last two years. We talked a lot about our goals and how we plan to improve animal welfare. The thing about Brian was he loved to help people and he cared so deeply about everyone in his life.  He was always there for anyone who needed him. He put 100% into everything he did. He was pursuing a master's degree, publishing his research project, taking extra classes, teaching an undergraduate course, and he was even looking for a part-time vet assistant job. He was so dedicated to pursuing his dream and he was going to be an amazing veterinarian. The world did not just lose a future veterinarian, but most importantly a wonderful human being. Brian I will miss you and you will forever be in my heart.  

OBITUARY

Brian Austin Canitz

June 9, 1995 – April 3, 2020

Allnutt Funeral Service – Drake Road Chapel

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