Husband, father, businessman, veteran, friend. Herbert Gene Rygmyr lived well and fought hard against Parkinson's and Lewy Body disease that eventually took his life on November 21st, 2010. He was preceded in death by parents Selma and George Rygmyr, brother Donne Rygmyr and son Kelly Rygmyr. He is survived by wife Helen of Punta Gorda, Florida, sister Addlyn Schliep of Zumbrota, Minnesota, children, Tacy (Kevin) Mangan and Katherine Rygmyr of Minneapolis, Minnesota, Lance (Sherry) Rygmyr of Atlanta, Georgia, Carolyn (Tibor) Csatari of Calgary, Alberta, and Greg Chapman and Doug (Keira) Chapman of Vancouver, British Columbia.
Born in Leland Iowa on February 20th, 1929, Gene left the country life to spend the majority of his childhood in Washington, DC., where his father worked as a guard for President Franklin D. Roosevelt. Gene graduated from McKinley High School in 1946. He carried on his family's call to service and joined the army to serve in the occupation of Japan and the Korean War. Four years later, Gene settled in Minnesota, where he married Barbara McHugh and raised their four children. He earned a business education degree at Winona State College and later served as president of the Winona State College Foundation and the Alumni Association.
Gene spent many good years working as a Purchasing Executive for Lake Center Industries in Winona, balancing work and family life with time on the golf course and volunteering for civic organizations such as the Winona Jaycees and Junior Achievement. After the end of his marriage to Barbara, Gene left Winona to pursue his passion as an entrepreneur, focusing on the food business. An opportunity with Watkins Products, Inc. took him to Winnipeg, Manitoba, where he not only ran the Canadian operation, but met his soul mate Helen Chapman, and her three children. The couple married in 1984 and moved to St. Paul where Gene excelled at growing small businesses into successful companies, culminating in one of his proudest accomplishments, Rygmyr Foods. For more than a decade, Rygmyr Foods was the largest manufacturer of molded popcorn products in the country. He sold the company to ConAgra in 1997, and retired, with Helen to the good life in Punta Gorda, Florida and Calgary, Alberta. Together they enjoyed traveling the world, socializing with great friends and family and sharing peaceful moments on the lanai overlooking the ocean.
Gene was a member of the Osman Shrine, the Masonic Lodge, volunteered for SCORE and was many times a resource for new entrepreneurs. A Scandinavian to the core, Gene's wry sense of humor endeared him to most and occasionally got him into a bit of trouble. If you asked him, he'd say his greatest role of all was that of dad to his blended family of seven children. He was a mentor to them all and especially fond of his seven grandchildren, David, Keavy, Kristin, Caitlin, Tyler, Jaedyn and Caris, and one great-grandchild, Nathan. He was immensely proud of his family, his military service and devotion to community and church. We will all miss his quiet strength and enduring positive spirit. Services to be held at Augustana Lutheran Church, 1400 So. Robert Street, West St. Paul, on Monday, December 13th at 10:30am and in Punta Gorda, Florida in January. Memorials to Tidewell Hospice, 5955 Rand Blvd., Sarasota, Florida, 34238.
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