Gary Lewis Gandrud

Gandrud, Gary L. 80, of Bloomington, Minnesota passed away peacefully on February 13, 2025. Gary was born in Minneapolis to Kermit and Alice (Rime) Gandrud. He grew up in Sunburg, MN and later moved to the Twin Cities, graduating from Wayzata High School. Gary graduated from of St. Olaf College and the University of Minnesota Law School. Gary began his career in the City of Bloomington and served as the City Attorney for a number of years. Entering private practice, he spent the majority of his career as a partner at Faegre & Benson. Gary was committed to his Norwegian heritage. He served as the Chairman of the Board of Vesterheim in Decorah, Iowa. He was a member of Torske Klubben and the Norwegian American Foundation. Gary loved traveling around the state and region celebrating Norwegian culture during his tenure as Honorary Norwegian Consul General. Gary orchestrated King Harald and Queen Sonja's visit to Minnesota in 2011 and King Harald awarded Gary the Den Kongelige Norske Fortjenstorden, The Royal Norwegian Order of Merit-Knight of the First Class. One of Gary's passions was hockey. He played for his high school and college teams and coached a number of youth hockey teams in both Wayzata and Bloomington. Gary succeeded in combining his interest in hockey with his career as the General Counsel for USA Hockey. He helped found the prestigious Hobey Baker Award and enjoyed hockey at every level. A longtime resident of Bloomington, Gary was a member and former president of Minnesota Valley Country Club. He was proud of the many awards and recognitions he received throughout the years for his commitments to various organizations. Above all, he was most proud of being a loving and devoted husband, father and grandfather. We will all miss Beste dearly. Gary was preceded in death by his father Kermit and mother Alice. He is survived by his wife Miriam (Larson) Gandrud, his sister Sonja (Jim) Rasmussen, his daughters Sarah (Chris) Robinson, Laura (Brent) Pickett, his adoring grandchildren Knut and Synnøve Robinson, Bergen and Ada Pickett, as well as numerous nieces, nephews and friends. Special thanks for Pastor Kurt Kalland's compassion and love, as well as the many friends and family who supported him through the years.
Memorial Service 12:00pm Monday February 24th with visitation beginning at 11:00am at Mt. Olivet Lutheran Church, 5025 Knox Avenue South, Minneapolis. To attend the funeral virtually please go tohttps://mtolivet.org/live/
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Mount Olivet Lutheran Church, Vesterheim, or St. Olaf College. www.Washburn-McReavy.com Edina Chapel 952-920-3996