WAUKESHA, Wis. — A Waukesha family is mourning the sudden death of its oldest son and asking the community for help as it faces an uncertain path forward. On July 6, 22-year-old Noah Bautch left the family home where he had lived since he was 5 years old. He never returned.
His family says Noah was the pedestrian struck and killed along Highway 164 near Lawnsdale Road in the Village of Waukesha.
According to the Waukesha County Sheriff’s Office, the Waukesha County Communications Center received multiple reports of a vehicle-versus-pedestrian crash at approximately 2:07 p.m. Noah suffered fatal injuries and was pronounced dead at the scene.
Watch: Waukesha family seeks community support after 22-year-old son is killed on Highway 164
The Wisconsin State Patrol, Big Bend Police Department and Village of Waukesha Fire Department assisted the sheriff’s office. Investigators have not publicly said what led to the crash, and the case remains under investigation.
Noah’s father, Patrick Bautch, said deputies came to the family’s home to deliver the news.
“It was shocking and I guess news I never thought I'd ever hear,” Patrick Bautch said.
Noah was the oldest of eight children. His younger siblings were with their father when TMJ4 visited the family, but they were too overwhelmed by grief to speak about their brother.
Patrick Bautch said no previous hardship prepared him for the pain of losing a child.
“I've gone through some low times in my life, but nothing compares with this, to lose a child,” Patrick Bautch said.
He described the loss as feeling as though part of him also died.
“It literally feels like a part of me died, like I've never felt so close to death before that someone so close as my oldest son, my first born son, has died and,” Patrick Bautch said.
Patrick Bautch said grief has affected each member of the family differently and can return without warning.
“It kind of goes in waves. Sometimes you think you're nearly doing a little better and then. Maybe it's a remembrance or something and you fall apart again,” Patrick Bautch said.
Noah spent nearly his entire life in the family’s home. Now, his father said, reminders of him are everywhere—from the table where he sat to the computer, kitchen and rooms where the family watched him grow.
Patrick Bautch said Noah’s oldest sister has struggled to walk through parts of the home without thinking about him.
“She, she said she pretty much sees him everywhere. It's like her remembrances of him in the home and. And I think on that too, it's like. So there's parts of our home that just seem like it's hard to even walk in without reflecting on. Our son being here. And no, he's not,” Patrick Bautch said.
The family had considered relocating before Noah’s death, but Patrick Bautch said the tragedy created a new sense of urgency.
“If I could, I would leave like practically now,” Patrick Bautch said.
The family wants to repair and sell the house, move Noah’s siblings to different schools and create some distance from the road where he died. Patrick Bautch said the family understands that moving will not erase its grief, but new surroundings could give them room to begin healing.
“There’s so many memories here,” Patrick Bautch said.
Before the house can be placed on the market, the family says it needs extensive work. Patrick Bautch described damaged drywall, doors that need to be replaced, water damage, roof repairs and other unfinished projects. A large dumpster has already been placed outside as the family begins clearing the property.
The family launched a GoFundMe to help cover repairs, temporary housing, moving expenses and the cost of starting over. https://gofund.me/1df691b11
While the home now carries painful reminders, it also holds some of the family’s most treasured memories of Noah.
In the backyard stands a large wooden cross Patrick Bautch built after watching the Christian film “Fireproof.” When Noah was 7, he stood beneath the cross behind a makeshift pulpit and delivered a message to his family.
The video of Noah's sermon : www.youtube.com/shorts/f2M0SGDOSqU
“He just started a little sermon message by telling people God loved him and just went into other things and it was just so powerful and um. Um. It's, it's very meaningful, um, it's one of the best memories I have of my son,” Patrick Bautch said.
Facebook videos also show Noah laughing, working out, skydiving, and hiking His father said Noah especially enjoyed playing and joking with the younger children.
“He was loved and He liked to play with the kids a lot,, I guess he played rough. I mean grab him and tickle him and stuff and especially little kids,” Patrick Bautch said.
Patrick Bautch said his faith has helped his family endure the pain, but it has not made the grief disappear. Friends and community members have brought meals to the family to support the family.
“I would literally give everything to, to have him back if that were possible. That's how important his life is, how anyone's life is,” Patrick Bautch said.
He said the tragedy has changed the way he thinks about fatherhood and the importance of telling children they are loved—even during difficult moments.
“I wish I could tell my son right now that I love him,” Patrick Bautch said.
Patrick Bautch hopes other parents will learn from his family’s loss and not assume their children already know how much they mean to them.
“To to put aside our frustrations sometimes and just let them know they're deeply loved. Their life is important,” Patrick Bautch said.
The family’s GoFundMe and information about how community members, contractors and volunteers can help are linked below.
https://gofund.me/1df691b11
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