City of Brooklyn Park: Dick Gunderson has passed away

This writer is so sad this morning after reading that Dick Gunderson, long time Brooklyn Park resident and owners of Blondies, has passed away.

According to the Star Tribune this morning, Dick, "...70, died Dec. 7 of a self-inflicted gunshot injury. Friends say he was heartbroken over the July 2008 death of his son, Thor, 42, who was in line to take over the bar."

I had known Dick since perhaps 1999 or so.  Gruff on the outside, but a tender, soft heart on the inside.  Most people were intimidated by him when they'd first meet him or see him in action.  Once someone got to know him they would see the man I got to know - a good guy who would give you the shirt off his back if you needed help.

He loved our community and showed it over the years.  During the 2000's you'd see him sitting in the front row of council meetings, inevitably talking (often at length) on various issues.  He served on a number of committees including the Citizen Long-range Improvement Committee where we first met.  He was also part of the Village Master Plan committee that helped form what is currently the Village Creek area at Zane and Brooklyn Blvd.  Dick was passionate about re-creating that area in the best way possible.

Later he and I ended up on opposite sides of the apartment referendum issue, something he jokingly reminded me of a month ago when we last saw each other.  It was never personal for Dick, though, because we both knew the other simply wanted the best for our community.

I guarantee he led a difficult life.  His son, Thor, passed away in 2008 of a heart attack.  Since Dick's wife, Carol, had passed away years earlier, Thor was all he had left.  Since his passing Dick had a hard time dealing with it and it showed, especially now looking back at the signs.

Running a bar in the highest crime area of the city was not easy.  He hated crime and continued to press the city to find ways to fight it. Some in our city attempted to blame him for the shooting death of a young man a few years ago, even trying to get the city to shut him down.  But they didn't know Dick like I and others did, he hated that this had happened and hated the crime that came from the area where Blondies is.  Despite what those politically-motivated people thought, this killing broke his heart.

Dick Gunderson will be missed in Brooklyn Park.