Richard Arthur Brustad

He graduated from Bagley High School in 1959 and from the University of Minnesota in 1963. Dick was married to Janet Berg and they have four children: Timothy (Teri): children Kathleen and Nicole; Thomas: children Joseph, Rachel, and Christopher; Elizabeth; and James (Lori): children Jessica, Elliott, and Mitchell; and two great-grandchildren Eleanor Grace and Etta Loy, daughters of Kathleen. Dick and Janet grew up in a small-town environment with small-town values. He learned to hunt and fish with his dad and helped in the family's small grocery store. He wrote many interesting essays about growing up in Northern Minnesota. He never missed a Bagley School Reunion and enjoyed catching up with old friends from high school. He was so excited to attend the University of Minnesota and was always a loyal fan of their sports teams. Dick's greatest pleasure was to spend time with his grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Many fun and educational road trips were enjoyed with pairs of cousins at a time. The Brustad family hunting trip was always a highlight and will certainly continue and will always be shared with special family friends. Any occasion would provide a reason for a Brustad family event. Many years of attending musical theatre performances resulted in producing their own version of these plays. Graduations and holidays always presented an opportunity for theme parties, sometimes with elaborate costumes and decorations and always an abundance of good food, fun, and laughter. He will be sadly missed by the children, each of whom had a special relationship with their Grandpa, and he always assured each of them that they were the "favorite!" He was so very proud of his children and their families and considered their successful lives a great achievement. After graduating from the University of Minnesota in 1963, Dick's first employment was with the U.S. Housing and Home Finance Agency in Chicago, working with cities on their urban development plans. He was a field representative for the City of Detroit and for the City of Chicago. In 1966, Dick and his family returned to Minnesota and he served as Director of North Side Redevelopment activities for the Minneapolis Housing and Redevelopment Authority. He started the grass roots citizen participation efforts in that neighborhood. In 1971, Dick became the Housing Director of the Metropolitan Council of the Twin Cities. He was instrumental in creating the policy that spread affordable housing into the suburbs, and created the Metropolitan Housing and Redevelopment Authority. In 1972, Dick became the Assistant Director of the Greater Minneapolis Metropolitan Housing Corporation, founded by the business community of Minneapolis to stimulate the production of affordable housing. Among these developments were the Plymouth Avenue Townhouses, the historic Milwaukee Avenue homes renovation, and Windslope, the first affordable housing development in Eden Prairie. In 1975, Dick became Executive Director of the Minneapolis Housing and Redevelopment Authority, where he oversaw both public housing management of over 10,000 units, and the major redevelopment efforts of the City. He led the creation of an extensive program to rehabilitate homes rather than demolish them, and the creation of the first city housing finance agency in the country. In 1979, Dick became Vice President of Nationwide Housing Corporation, where he developed affordable housing projects in Greater Minnesota. In 1981, Brighton Development Corporation was formed by partners Dick Brustad, Linda Donaldson, and Margaret Lucas. This partnership worked with neighborhood groups to develop or renovate over 6300 high-quality units of housing. Brighton is credited with leading the restoration efforts along the Mississippi River in downtown Minneapolis through projects like North Star Woolen Mills, Lourdes Square, the Mill City Museum, and many others. In 2000, Dick became President of Community Housing Development Corporation, which was created to acquire and preserve affordable housing developments throughout the State of Minnesota. Under his leadership, CHDC has a portfolio of over 4300 units of affordable housing. A great passion was the building of housing for homeless residents and veterans. The Higher Ground Project was applauded throughout the country. Over the years, as each project was completed, Dick could be heard to say, "They're all God's children." He truly believed in equitable services for everyone.

Survivors include his wife, Janet, their four children, eight grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren, and several cousins, nieces, and nephews. He was

preceded in death by his parents and a brother, Kenneth.

A service to honor Dick's life will be held on Saturday, January 7, 2017, at the St. Anthony Padua Chapel at Catholic Eldercare, 813 NE Main Street, Minneapolis. There will be visitation at 12:30 p.m. and the service will be held at 2:00 p.m. Burial will take place in Bagley at a later date.

KAPALA-GLODEK

612-378-1331

KapalaGlodekFuneralHome.com