Jon Daniel Jorgenson

Greensboro, NC- Jon “Danny” Daniel Jorgenson, 60, died unexpectedly on November 9, 2013. To honor and celebrate Jon’s life, his family will be welcoming family and friends to come and join them at a reception on November 30, 2013, from 2 to 5 PM at The Old Firehouse, 310- 4th Street, Brookings, SD 57006 and his family will be welcoming family and friends to come and join them at a gathering and reception, December 14th, 2013, from 3 to 7 PM in their home at 5423 Rambling Road, Greensboro, NC 27409.

Jon was born in Watertown, SD to the late Royal “Shorty” Morris and Marie Marston Jorgenson. He grew up on a farm by Lake Norden, SD, where he attended public school, and graduated in 1971 from Hayti High School. He married Nancy Goodroad of Watertown, SD and had 2 children, Bridgette and David. He served his country in the US Navy from 1971 until 1976. From a child and into his adult years, he learned the value of hard work working alongside his father off and on at the family farm.

From 1979 to May 1983, he attended South Dakota State University, in Brookings, SD, earning a minor degree in mathematics, a B.S. in Engineering Physics and a B.S. in Electrical Engineering. He was very proud of this university and the education he received. Following graduation in May 1983, he married Janell Skordahl of Brookings SD. With Janell, her daughter, Tanya, and his daughter Bridgette, he began his career moving to Fullerton, CA. His accolades and accomplishments were many. He started his 30 year career, learning and working with his love and passion for designing solid state circuits, at Rockwell International in Anaheim, CA as a member of the technical staff from 1983-1985. In 1985, they moved to Roseville/LittleCanada, MN where he was a senior research engineer with Sperry/ Research in Eagan, MN until 1988. He joined ITT-GaAs Technology Center in Roanoke, VA until 1991. From 1991-1996 he was employed as principle engineer with Alpha Industries in Woburn, MA In 1996 he worked at RF Micro Devices, as an Engineering Designer, Manager, and was honored to be a charter member inducted into the RFMD Fellow Program. In 2008, he began to fulfil his dream of starting his entrepreneurial career as co-founder of RFMEDS and RFMED Solutions. During this time he was awarded fourteen patents and currently eight provisional patents are pending.

He loved the people he worked with and was a mentor to everyone. He loved to learn and also found joy in sharing his knowledge with others. His co-workers called him a genius but regardless of his abilities within the engineering field he never made anyone feel they were not capable of the same that he had accomplished. He treated everyone with respect and dignity regardless of their station in life. He had a “keen” sense of humor and an infectious laugh and smile that everyone loved. Once he got to know a person, he usually came up with a “pet name” for them, which meant he’d taken a liking to them. When he wasn’t hard at work, which wasn’t often, thru their 30 years of marriage, Jon and Janell enjoyed some traveling, doing day trips in the different states they lived in, working in their yard, and going up to their farm in SD. He loved to golf. Early in his life he enjoyed woodworking and outdoor activities such as volleyball, softball, and fishing. Though not very happy with them at times, he was a dedicated Chicago Bears fan all his life. But the biggest joy over all of those activities was the joy he had spending time with his children and the special joy of being “Papa” and the world’s best grandpa to his two grandsons. He loved to spoiled them, teach them to use tools, be outside with them, attend every school and sports event, and teach them geeky engineering things. But above all, he gave them his love, his time, and his full attention with his dream that he would be teaching them life values and see them grow into hardworking, self-sufficient, responsible young men.

He will be lovingly remembered by his wife of thirty years, Janell Skordahl Jorgenson of Greensboro, NC; three children, Bridgette Marie Jorgenson of Portland, OR, David Jon Jorgenson of Raleigh, NC and Tanya Brewbaker of Greensboro, NC; two grandsons, Devin and Matthew Brewbaker of Greensboro, NC; Sisters: Jackie (Gary) Meeder of Brookings, SD, Roxie (Harold) Sorknes, of Watertown, SD, Penny (Jim) Woster, of Sioux Falls, SD, and Cathy Prouty, of Lake Norden, SD; Brother: David (Sandy) Jorgenson of Sioux Falls, SD ; brothers-in-law, Dean (Lorraine) Skordahl of Chisago City, MN and Dan (Jackie) Skordahl of Brookings, SD; father-in-law, Reuben Skordahl of Brookings, SD ; several nieces and nephews; and 2 feline companions, Callie and GoGo. He is preceded in death by his father and mother, Royal and Marie Jorgenson of Lake Norden, SD; and his mother-in-law, Doris Skordahl of Brookings, SD.

In lieu of flowers memorial contributions may be given on line at soldiersbestfriend.org or mailed to Soldier’s Best Friend, 5955 W. Peoria Ave., #6242, Glendale, AZ 85312. Hanes-Lineberry N. Elm chapel is honored to serve the Jorgenson family.