Jacob “Jake” Nicholas Hilderbrand, 18, of Frenchtown, Montana, passed unexpectedly at home on August 6, 2026.

Jake was born December 20, 2007, in Dover, Delaware, to Brandy Hilderbrand.

There are people who move quietly through the world, and then there was Jake.

Jake had an enormous energy about him, the kind that filled a room and somehow found its way straight into the souls of the people lucky enough to know him. He had the best smile, the most expressive eyes, and a laugh that could make everything else disappear for a minute. Jake didn’t use many words, but he certainly never had trouble making his opinions known. He could communicate “that's not happening" with a single look better than most people could manage with an entire sentence.

He loved movement, hugs, his devices, Little Einsteins, Wubbzy, and Brown Bear books. He loved dogs and tolerated cats. He ran everywhere in enormous four-foot leaps and had truly ridiculous hand-eye coordination. His teachers were convinced that if he’d been able to play football, he would have been unstoppable.

And Jake could eat.

He approached snacks and treats with a truly ravenous enthusiasm, and stealing a bite when you're not looking was never entirely out of the question. Food was joy to Jake, and Jake understood something about life that the rest of us spend far too much time complicating: joy, food, love, laughter, and the people who make you feel safe are the things that matter.

Jake loved input, closeness, and the people who were his. He would hold his mom’s hand in the car, while also looking at her as though she was unquestionably the worst driver he had ever encountered. He loved completely and without pretense, and he stole the hearts of nearly everyone he met without ever realizing he’d done it.

Jake taught his family boundless patience and an entirely different way of seeing the world, one fuller and more beautiful than words can adequately explain. He kept them grounded. He gave them purpose. And alongside his mom, Jake gave a man carrying battles of his own a new kind of purpose, and in loving Jake, Tyler found a kind of salvation he never expected.

Jake is survived by his mother, Brandy Hilderbrand; his dad, Tyler Hilderbrand; his brother, Gavin; and a family made much larger than biology could ever define, the people who cared for him, taught him, advocated for him, laughed with him, protected him, and loved him exactly as he was.

Jake was perfect just the way he was.

His family will celebrate his life on September 20, 2026. Details will be made public soon. This will be exactly what Jake deserves, not simply a goodbye, but a celebration of the enormous joy, laughter, and love packed into his eighteen years.