Leonard Hedman

1935 - 2025

Leonard L. Hedman, age 90, of Grand Rapids, Minnesota, died on November 13, 2025, at Abbott Northwestern Hospital in Minneapolis from complications following vascular surgery.

Born in Bemidji, Minnesota, on May 1, 1935, his early years were spent at North Star Camp, his family's resort on Leech Lake. They moved to Grand Rapids when Len was six years old so he and his sisters could attend school. He graduated from Grand Rapids High School in 1953. After graduating from the University of Minnesota in 1957, he joined the National Guard and completed basic training at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri. He then returned to Grand Rapids to work with his father, Buck Hedman, at Hedman's Resort Exchange. It was the beginning of a long career specializing in the selling and appraisal of commercial resorts and lakeshore properties throughout northern Minnesota.

Len was an avid outdoorsman who loved fishing and duck hunting. He skied, hiked, and enjoyed canoe trips in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area. He was a reader of history, a great storyteller and a lover of poetry, with many works committed to memory. His resonant bass voice was part of many choral groups and musicals over the years.

Len was preceded in death by his parents, Buck and Olga Hedman, sister Ann Stark and step-son, Steve Rasmussen. He is survived by his wife, Carol Rasmussen, Grand Rapids, his children Sally (Fred) Lawless, Shoreview, MN, Paul (Amy Mathre) Hedman, Park City, UT, step-son Scott Rasmussen, Duluth, MN, grandchildren Katherine and Ann Lawless and Ashley (Austin) Hallford, sisters Faith McDevitt and Ella (Jay) Warmington, and numerous cousins, nieces and nephews.

A Celebration of Life will be held in the spring of 2026. The family suggests donations in Len's memory to the Second Harvest Food Shelf in Grand Rapids, Minnesota.