Floyd Magnusson

1925 - 2011

Floyd A. Magnusson

Fort Dodge

Floyd A. Magnusson, 85, of Fort Dodge passed away in his home on Saturday, April 16, 2011. The funeral service will be held at 1:30 p.m. on Wednesday, April 20, 2011 at Grace Lutheran Church with Pastor Matthew Martens officiating. Entombment will follow at the Chapel of Peace Mausoleum at North Lawn Cemetery. A visitation will be held from 4 to 8 p.m. on Tuesday at Gunderson Funeral Home and Cremation Services.

Floyd was born in Gowrie, Iowa on August 8, 1925 to Fred and Mildred (Blomgren) Magnusson. He grew up in Gowrie, Iowa and his family moved to Fort Dodge where he attended Fort Dodge Senior High, became a high school basketball star and was inducted into the Fort Dodge High School Athletic Hall of Fame. Floyd attended The University of Iowa and again succeeded on the basketball court having won an unprecedented five basketball letter awards. During this time, he enlisted in the U.S. Navy and, having served two years at Great Lakes Naval Base, was honorably discharged. After graduating from the University of Iowa, Floyd moved to Waverly, Iowa where he taught and coached for two years leading the school to the Boys State Tournament. He moved back to Fort Dodge and began a long career in the insurance business when he opened Magnusson Insurance Agency in 1954.

Floyd's basketball career did not end at that time, however. He became a very successful college basketball official having officiated, not only in the Big Ten, Big Eight and Missouri Valley Conferences for 16 years, but he was also chosen to referee the national championship game in three NCAA tournaments. In 1963, in recognition for his outstanding career as a basketball official, he was selected by the U.S. State Department as one of two officials and two college coaches to conduct basketball clinics at armed service bases in Hawaii, Japan, Korea, Okinawa and Alaska. Also, in the early 1960's Floyd was instrumental in starting the first chapter of The Fellowship of Christian Athletes in the state of Iowa.

As a community leader, Floyd served on the City Parks and Recreation Commission, School Board Member and past President, United Fund Chairman and Past American Legion Commander. He served on the Board of Directors of The Salvation Army, National I Club Board and The National University of Iowa Lettermen's Club and served as chairman of the Highway 20 Development Committee. Later in life Floyd was elected to the Webster County Board of Supervisors where he had a very successful 20 plus years of service to his community.

Floyd was a staunch University of Iowa athletic fan and always boasted of being a football season ticket holder for 60 years. He also loved a good game of golf and spending time with family and friends.

Floyd was married to Dee Sheker for 48 years until her death in 1996. From this marriage were born three children, Jolyn (Bob) Cataldo of Des Moines, Iowa, Jim Magnusson of Bonita Springs, Florida, Mike (Jolene) Magnusson of Denver, Colorado; six grandchildren; eleven great-grandchildren; and his sister, Juanita Carlson of Spencer, Iowa. In 2002, he married Gloria Von Bank and they were happily married for the last ten years. He is survived by two step children, Vicki (Jim) Simpson of West Des Moines, IA and Michael (Riki) Von Bank of the Villages, FL.; eleven step-grandchildren and eleven step-great-grandchildren.

Floyd was preceded in death by his wife, Dee; brother, Harris Magnusson; sister, Betty Baldwin and great-grandson, Frankie Cataldo.

Memorials may be directed to the family for their further discretion.