Gary Homer Hegland

Gary Homer Hegland was born July 7, 1938 in Crosby, Minnesota to Evelyn Leona (Anderson) and Homer Winfield Hegland. He passed away at home during the early morning hours of Friday, November 15, 2024 surrounded by the immense love and support of his amazing wife, Jane.
Gary graduated from Crosby-Ironton High School in 1956, where he played varsity basketball and baseball. (There may have been some later self-comparisons to Kevin McHale and Larry Bird?) He was a lifelong fan of sports, providing consecutive championship-winning seasons as armchair coach for his favorite teams. He grew up around Ironton and Serpent Lake, enjoying the Brainerd Lakes area outdoors, waterskiing, snowmobiling, fishing, and hunting.
Gary briefly attended the University of Minnesota Twin Cities studying engineering. He then transferred to North Dakota State University's (NDSU's) pharmacy school. While at NDSU, he played baseball and participated in the Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) program. After graduating from NDSU, he joined the United States Air Force 86th Medical Group stationed at Ramstein Air Base in Germany as a Lieutenant managing a mobile ambulance service. After his service, he moved to the Minnetonka and Wayzata area to work as a pharmacist. Later, he operated Range Rexall Drug in Crosby.
Gary had two biological offspring, Lance and Michelin, with Lynn (Felten) Hegland. (One sibling was sorta devious and kinda smart, the other was wicked smart and presumably totally innocent. You'll have to guess which is which. ????????????) Gary, Lynn, and the kids enjoyed many trips to Florida, birthdays, and holidays with the Mahoney family.
During the mid-1980's, he met Jane Sharp, who quickly became his best friend, adventure partner, strongest supporter, and loving wife. They spent many wonderful years living between the beautifully rustic, modernly updated log home of the Old Crone Homestead on County Road 8 and their cabin deep in the Canadian woods. Gary was blessed to become part of the large, tight-knit, and fun-loving Sharp-Moon clan. Lance and Michelin were joined by super siblings Gordon, Dan, Joe, and Laurie. (Meaning, 333% more shenanigannery occurred, the extra 33% by Dan alone!) Gary reveled in the wild stories, hilarious jokes, and delicious meals shared during family gatherings.
Gary loved fishing, hunting, and exploring the outdoors with his incredible wife along with the Heglund boys - Paul, Mike, and Tom – plus Robbie Callisto, among many others. He was also a private pilot and enjoyed flying a Cessna 172 Skyhawk with his friend and plane co-owner, Jim Skiem.
After retiring, he enjoyed many road trips and vacations with his wife, Terry and Ila Martin, Harold and Dede Moon, Bud and Jean Sharp, and many others.
When not exploring the outdoors, traveling, or visiting, he enjoyed reading and doing puzzles. In recent years, he and Jane adopted Jackson, their loving, playful, sometimes mischievous, and always master mouse-trapping feline. (Who also loved to help Gary with puzzling.)
Gary is preceded in death by parents Evelyn and Homer, parents-in-law Howard and Virginia (Valiquet) Moon, sister Gayle Olson, brother-in-law George Moon, brother-in-law Harry (Bud) Sharp, and sister-in-law Jean (Moon) Sharp. Gary is survived by his wife Jane (Moon) Sharp; children: Gordon (Beth) Sharp, Dan (Shelly) Sharp, Joe (Wanda) Sharp, Laurie (Lin) Giannonatti, Lance Hegland, Lance's fantastic girlfriend Alyssa Kalmoe, Michelin (Sergio) Tigre, and Jackson "Mouse" Hegland; plus, numerous nieces, nephews, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren.
A Celebration of Life will be held for lifetime resident and businessman Gary Hegland at the Ironton Legion in Ironton from 2:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. on Saturday, December 7th, 2024. All family and friends are invited to come and be a part of remembering Gary.Arrangements are with the Koop Funeral Home in Crosby.
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