In Memory

Warren Gustafson

Minneapolis Star Tribune

Warren James Gustafson

Warren James Gustafson

Gustafson, Warren James 75, passed away peace- fully on July 22nd, surrounded by love and holding the hands of his wife, Judy, and "bonus daughter," Tammy. Warren was preceded in death by his parents and beloved son, Eric. He is survived by his wife of 54 years, 7 nieces and nephews, 7 great-nieces and great-nephews and many other family members and friends. He was a "bonus" father and grandfather to so many, including 4 amazing foreign exchange daughters and 11 Godchildren, who looked up to him for his warmth and wisdom. Warren was born in St. Paul. He graduated from White Bear Lake High School in 1964 and Bethel College in 1969. He spent most of his career working in Quality Improvement, teaching companies how to find and become "exemplary performers" in the workplace. He also spent 10 years as a Personal Care Attendant at St. Cloud Hospital. The guiding force in his life was always his faith. He loved listening to sermons from Eagle Brook Church and leading Bible studies and book studies (discussing "Heaven" and "A Purpose Driven Life") in St. Cloud and Eagan. He also loved playing Scrabble and visiting with the residents at a local senior care center, as well as being a part of two poker groups with friends and a couples 500 card club. Though he was a calm, gentle and quiet soul, his love for Jesus, his family and fishing was larger than life. Talking about any of these three topics (particularly fish) brought an enormous smile to his face and put a twinkle in his eye. One of the most admirable qualities of Warren was his resilience. Rather than letting the grief of losing his son overcome him, he channeled the love he had for Eric into building relationships and sharing his faith with others. Warren volunteered for 17 years as a Sunday School teacher and was the leader of two Boy Scout troops. He was, simply, one-of-a-kind. While his family is devastated that he is no longer physically with them, they are comforted knowing he is with Jesus, reunited with Eric after thirty long years, and able to freely fish heaven's lakes without interruption. A memorial service will be held at 2:30pm on Wednesday, August 3rd at Easter Lutheran Church on the Hill in Eagan. Visitation will begin two hours prior to the service. A private burial will be held at a later date. In lieu of flowers, memorials to the Boy Scouts of America, TreeHouse-Eagan Chapter or Let's Go Fishing-Eden Prairie Area Chapter are preferred.

Published on July 31, 2022