Anthony “Tony” Haugrud

Anthony “Tony” Haugrud, 62, of Dent, formerly of Minnesota and North Dakota, passed away unexpectedly in a kayaking accident on Tuesday, July 28, 2026, in Lake Lida, MN.

Tony was born and raised on a farm in Minnesota, where he was a life-long and a Boy Scout before attending college. There he was a member of the ROTC. He served in the United States Air Force, during which he was deployed to Afghanistan. He honorably served our country for more than 20 years as a strategic analysis officer for the NSA Strategic Command and worked on UAVs, earning the rank of Lieutenant Colonel prior to retiring. He earned his bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering from North Dakota State University and his master's degree in Aviation Science from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. Following his military career, Tony has served as the project manager at L3 Harris Inc. for the past 10 years. In addition, he was a member of the Association of Old Crows (AOC), an organization focused on electronic warfare, electromagnetic spectrum operations, and cyber electromagnetic activities. He attended St. Francis of Assisi Roman Catholic Church with his girlfriend, Kim, and gratefully helped her attend to the garden beds surrounding the church.

Hardworking, he was passionate about what he did for a living. He was a talker and made sure you felt the conversation you were having with him was the most important one at that time. As a social butterfly, he never knew a stranger and was loved by everyone who met him. Kind-hearted, he enjoyed helping others, even going the extra mile to make sure they were taken care of down the road. Tony had a reserved persona that was nerdy, but still could have fun, be silly, and relax with his family and friends. He was never loud-spoken but will always be remembered for being able to talk forever with anyone.

When not hard at work, he enjoyed attending the Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra, of which he was a patron. He was very outdoorsy. He loved kayaking and took great pride in woodworking. He had crafted a beautiful bench for his girlfriend, among other items, over the years. Traveling was another passion of his. Some of his more memorable trips included traveling out west to Arizona, Utah, Tombstone to see a gun show, the Grand Canyon, and California. He also always looked forward to the trips to see family and friends in Minnesota, North Dakota, and Mississippi. Christmases were always cherished memories spent with family in Minnesota.

Tony loved to cook and was well known for his chicken noodle soup. Annually, he hosted a soup-off with family, friends, and neighbors. Everyone had their soup judged and battled to win the trophy, soup ladle, and apron. Tony always liked impressing others with his creations from the kitchen. He was really upset when he came in last, wondering, "Why did no one like my soup?" He would soon recover from the disappointment of not winning by creating the next amazing thing for everyone to taste. He had dinners around a big table for every celebration and kept the family together, which was a tradition passed down from his parents. With an engineering mind, he always tried to make sure everything was perfect and down to a science in the kitchen. When he found out Kim loved shrimp in seafood boils, he looked up how to make the perfect kind. Kim gave Tony an egg cooker, and he was amazed and bragged to others about how perfect it made the eggs. His perfectionist side showed through in his cooking, and he was always trying to find the perfect way to cook. Tony was a collector of everything because he believed you would always find use for it someday. He looked forward to collecting Tupperware from different places where he had gotten takeout, so he could always send food home with his family and friends when they came to visit. Tuesday nights were devoted to date nights with Kim; without fail, he always made it happen and carved out special time just for the two of them. The two of them would watch The Secret of Skinwalker Ranch because Tony was fascinated by it. He proudly took on the role of being a "Dad" for the Bellbrook Band, which he greatly enjoyed and through which he made many friends among the other dads. He looked forward to participating, watching, and more importantly, cheering on his daughter, Maris, through games and competitions. Among many things, he will be remembered for the love and pride he had in his daughters, and how dependable and reliable he was to everyone who knew him.

Tony was preceded in death by his mother, Phyllis Haugrud. He is survived by his beloved girlfriend of 20 years, Kim Avery; one son, Colton Haugrud; four daughters, Erin Loren, Raines, Maris (David) Ritter Haugrud, Sara Avery, and Helen Avery; his father, Lyle Morris Haugrud; one brother, Chris Haugrud; sister, Jill Brent (Donault); sister-in-law, Karin Haugrud; many nieces, nephews, and a great nephew.

Funeral service will be at 1 p.m. on Monday, July 30, 2026, at St. Francis of Assisi Roman Catholic Church in Centerville. Father Brian Helps will be officiating. Burial will be in Bellbrook Cemetery. The family will receive friends from 3-5 p.m. on Sunday, July 29, 2026, at Conner & Koch Funeral Home in Bellbrook. If desired, contributions may be made to Elizabeth's New Life Center and the Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra.

A memorial service will be held at Grove Lake in the near future.

Condolences may be shared with the family at https://www.connerandkoch.com.