Todd Ruzicka

Todd David Ruzicka was born July 26, 1985, to Larry and Pat (Kavan) Ruzicka. He was raised on a corn and soybean farm in North Bend, NE. Growing up, he spent much of his time working on his family’s farm with his older siblings and cousins, working in the kitchen of The Rawhide Steakhouse, or playing football, wrestling, and running track. He was active in Boy Scouts, earning his Eagle Scout rank in 2003. He was a 2004 graduate of North Bend Central High School and later earned his Associate’s Degree in Horticulture from Northeast Community College in Norfolk, NE, in 2006.

Todd’s career began in 2006, working as a seasonal range technician on a range crew in the White River National Forest in Colorado. Receiving his red card that summer, the next months were spent on an engine crew and a Type-2 handcrew. A year later, he worked as an engine/helicopter crewmember. He accepted a position with the Alpine Hotshots in Rocky Mountain National Park in 2008. In 2011, he moved back to Nebraska to farm with his family, but he was unable to resist the urge of the dynamic complexities that fire presented; he returned to Alpine in 2013 as a Lead Crewmember. As his career developed, he transitioned to Squad Leader in 2015 and pursued higher education in GIS Rangeland and Fire Ecology through university programs. Time with Alpine shaped a career path and goals; his work experiences included fire suppression throughout the US, Canada, and Australia, prescribed fire, forestry, search and rescue, engine staffing, incident management team involvement, and personnel development. Todd chose Alpine in order to be a part of something larger than himself, and each fire season brought adrenaline, hard work, growth, and also camaraderie and brotherhood with his crew. A highlight of his career, Todd was a proud member of the NPS Fire and Aviation Honor Guard, providing support for fallen firefighters and their families.

In 2015, he met his wife, Danielle. Todd’s free-spirited hotshot lifestyle and joyful personality complemented Danielle’s preference for planning and fondness for traveling; they loved the life they built together. They made their home in Loveland, CO, with Jax, their chocolate lab. They were engaged in NYC in December 2017 and married in Minnesota on March 9, 2019, during a snowstorm. They were blessed with the birth of a son, Emmett Lee, born September 1, 2021.

In pursuit of moving closer to family in 2022, Todd accepted a Fuels/Fire Planner position at Sand Lake National Wildlife Refuge, near Aberdeen, SD. He managed a prescribed fire and GIS program for the Great Lakes Fire Zone, covering South Dakota and the Sandhills of Nebraska, restoring and maintaining wildlife habitat. Their daughter, Elise Joy, was born October 21, 2023. Todd was a proud and loving Daddy; he treasured the time he spent with the kids, instilling and modeling hard work and responsibility as well as providing many, many snuggles. In 2025, the family made their final relocation to Danielle’s hometown of St. James, MN, to raise their family. Todd worked for Romsdahl Companies, then accepted a position with the Minnesota DNR as a wildland firefighter and forester. He was passionate about sharing his knowledge and experience through teaching and collaborating on fire management strategies as well as supporting wildland and prescribed fire programs across the southern region of Minnesota.

Todd’s true loves included farming, firefighting, and family. He enjoyed hunting (especially yearly elk hunts in Colorado), fishing, running, golfing, watching college football and wrestling (Go Big Red), and completing house projects that transformed their houses into homes. In the words of Todd’s family and friends: “There are folks all around the country who love Todd. Todd had a warm smile and joyful spirit. He was a very good man, an incredible human, tenacity to the core, I trusted him completely, he was like a brother to me, such a kind and genuine person. Knowing him was a gift. Emmett and Elise are a reflection of the love and the legacy Todd leaves. Our hearts are broken.”

Todd passed away on October 24, 2026, surrounded by his family in Rochester, MN, due to injuries sustained in a farm accident. He is survived by his wife, Danielle, and their two children, Emmett (5) and Elise (3), of St. James, MN; parents Larry and Pat Ruzicka of North Bend, NE; sister Hailey (Kevin) Kraus of Hooper, NE; sister Melinn (Justin) Young of Norfolk, NE; brother Tyler (Brittany) Ruzicka of Elkhorn, NE; in-laws Eugene and Julie Hildebrandt of St. James, MN; sister-in-law Sarah (Erik) Mortwedt of Milford, IA; brother-in-law Ethan (Karlee) Hildebrandt of St. James, MN; grandmother-in-law Yvonne Hildebrandt of Mountain Lake, MN; nephews and nieces Grayson, Kade, Landon, Emmery, Hallie, Jacey, Beckham, Hudson, Jemma, Ryder, Reece, Mya, Ayla, Autumn, and Leah; and many close friends and family who love him dearly. He was preceded in death by his grandparents, Emil and Marie Ruzicka and Richard and Wilma Kavan.

A memorial service will be held on Saturday, November 7, 2026, at 10:30 a.m. at St. Charles Borromeo Church in North Bend, Nebraska. A celebration of life and luncheon will follow at the North Bend Central High School gymnasium.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorials are given for a fund for Emmett and Elise, or please direct donations to the Wildland Firefighter Foundation (wffoundation.org).

Moser Memorial Chapel of Fremont, Nebraska is assisting the family.