Magne Nygren

Magne Nygren, age 77, passed away peacefully at his home, surrounded by family on August 24th, 2022. Magne was born in Oslo, Norway on June 13,1945 to Ernst and Signe Nygren. He grew up in Risør, Norway and developed a love of the ocean and adventure at an early age.

He earned an engineering degree in Trondheim, Norway. In 1968, Magne met the love of his life, Wendy, while serving in the Norwegian Navy in Bergen. For more then fifty-three years, they shared an extraordinary love for each other. They emigrated to the United States in 1970, where he received a Master of Business Administration from National University in San Diego, California. Magne worked in the material handling industry, retiring in 2000 from Munck Autech in Newport News, Virginia, where he served as CEO. Throughout the course of his career, he served as vice president of the Material Handling Industry (MHI) trade organization, as well as serving on the Material Handling Industry of America Roundtable for many years.

He pursued his dreams with a rarely seen level of commitment, building a sailboat from a bare hull, which he launched in the Chesapeake Bay. Magne had a love of nature and spent most of his free time pursuing activities such as sailing, snorkeling, diving, and fishing. He enjoyed sharing his love of these activities with his children, grandchildren, and extended family. After retiring in 2000, he and Wendy traveled extensively. They made five trans-Atlantic crossings on their sailboat, and visited ports throughout Europe, the Mediterranean, the coast of Africa, and the Caribbean. When they were not traveling, he and Wendy split their time between Virginia and the Bahamas. Magne was an accomplished sailor and was always ready to help anyone in need, whether rescuing a stranded sailor, pulling a boat off of a reef, or just offering sage advice. He will always be remembered as a kind, gentle man with an amazing smile.

Magne is preceded in death by his parents, Ernst and Signe Nygren; brother, Egil Nygren and sister-in-law, Unni Nygren. He is survived by his wife, Wendy Jennifer Nygren; son, Jan Magne Nygren (Mary-Benham); daughter, Monica Nygren McGahee (David); grandchildren, Mikayla, Taylor, Ashley, Ryleigh, and Lorelei; brother, Petter Nygren (Tove); sister, Inger-Marie Thorsdal (Knut) and many loving extended family members and friends to honor his legacy.

A memorial service will be held on Saturday, October 22nd, 2022 at 2:00pm at Sandy Springs Christian Church, 301 Johnson Ferry Rd. NW, Sandy Springs, GA 30328.

In lieu of flowers, the family kindly asks that you consider a donation in Magne’s name to the Cure Alzheimer’s Fund, by visiting https://curealz.org/giving/donate/.

HM Patterson and Son Canton Hill is honored to serve the Nygren family during this difficult time.