Brad Gullickson Obituary, Death – The Dougherty Hospice House in Sioux Falls is where Gullickson spent his final days. Bobby Gullickson joined a family that already included five brothers and sisters, dozens of aunts and uncles, and 65 first cousins, the majority of whom lived in Moody County, when he was born in Flandreau on November 6, 1958. His parents were Bob and Faye (Sayles) Gullickson. The significance of having such a large and loving family was brought into sharp relief during the summer of 1966.
When a farm accident left him with a debilitating brain injury that fundamentally altered the course of his life. Following his recovery at Sioux Valley Hospital, which lasted for several months, he then attended Crippled Children’s Hospital and School for his rehabilitation. In the end, he moved back in with his parents in Egan and returned home. Following the passing of his parents, he moved in with his brother Brad’s family in Brandon, where he remained until complications with his health required him to relocate to a group home in Sioux Falls.
Gullickson was a proud member of the community despite the fact that he struggled with his health on a regular basis throughout his life. He spent many years working as a janitor at Egan School. The acceptance and the attention that he found there are two things for which we are extremely grateful. He was a huge fan of the television show “The Dukes of Hazzard,” as well as Mountain Dew, Harley Davidson motorcycles, his nieces and nephews (who adored him in return), and zipping around town on his four-wheeler. (Another example of the advantages of living in a small town is that despite driving an unlicensed vehicle and without a license, he was never pulled over.) Bobby was incredibly low maintenance, but he thrived on the attention that he got from his extended family and people in the community.
Gullickson is survived by his three sisters, JoEllen (Manny) Jason of Marstons Mill, Massachusetts, Julie (Bob) Connors of Grand Rapids, Michigan, and Kristi (Craig) Tamash, of Osterville, Massachusetts; two brothers, Marc (Cathy) Gullickson of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, and Brad (Colleen) Gullickson of Brandon; four aunts, Blanche (Sayles) Kansanback and Beverly (Sayles)
Beginning with Drs. Otey and Church, who attended to Bobby after the accident, and ending with the wonderful staff at Dakotabilities and Dougherty House, the family will never forget the people who cared for Bobby over the years. They will begin with Drs. Otey and Church, who attended to him after the accident, and end with them. Because he was helped by everyone who came into contact with him, we couldn’t even begin to express our gratitude to everyone who assisted him over the course of the intervening years.