Gary Keith Minor, April 8, 1945 • July 10, 2022

Gary Keith Minor, 77, passed away peacefully at the Chapel View Health Care Center in Hopkins, Minnesota  July 10, 2022.
A service will be held Monday, July 18, 2022 at 3 p.m.  with visitation one hour prior at the Wayzata Community Church, 125 Wayzata Blvd, Wayzata, MN 55391. Memorials preferred to the Minnewaska Lake Association, PO Box 14, Glenwood, MN 56334.  
Gary was born April 8, 1945 in Benson, Minnesota.  Gary graduated from Benson High School in 1963 and attended Dunwoody Technical School where he learned to weld and his ability to build and fix anything was born.  He eloped with his wife and was married in Ironwood, MI.  He enlisted in the Air Force in 1965  where he became an aircraft mechanic working on T38s.  
Gary and his wife lived in the south while he was in service and had many fun experiences attending events like the Firecracker 400.  He was honorably discharged from the Air Force in 1969 at the rank of Staff Sergeant.  After his service to his country, Gary attended Emery Riddle Aeronautical Institute furthering his studies in aircraft maintenance while living in Daytona Beach, FL.  The family moved back to Minnesota and a son was born in 1971.  
Gary also attended the school of hard knocks and worked as a welder for Jacobson Machine Works where he learned everything about the Hammermill industry from his mentor Ralph Jacobson.  Gary worked in the hammermill industry his entire career and was considered a top expert in the field.  He finally developed his own hammermill designs and started his own company manufacturing hammermills.  He worked for 25 years building his company and sold it to Buhler North America in 2016.  
Gary’s mills are used in many industries including feed milling, aqua culture, and ethanol plants where his mill design has greatly increased the efficiency in those plants.  He was proud of the fact that he traveled all over the world installing his mills in areas like Nigeria, Thailand, Mexico, Malaysia and Singapore as well as traveling for vacations to places like the South Pacific, Hawaii and the Cayman Islands.  Gary was also a volunteer firefighter for the city of Golden Valley for 10 years where he rose to the rank of Captain and oversaw the opening of Fire Station #3.  Gary could fix, build or engineer almost anything even without a formal engineering degree.  He influenced many people in his life and his son said we all went to the “Gary Minor School of something” whether it be hammermill manufacturing, automotive climate control or lawn mowing. 
Gary was a generous man and many people have said he would give you the shirt off his back in a snowstorm.  A little known fact is that Gary played Santa Claus for Step By Step Montessori preschools during the holiday season and listened to tens of thousands of children, over 20 years, tell Santa what they wanted for Christmas.  He loved attending his grandchildren’s events and spent countless hours at an ice rink, ball field or volleyball court.  
Gary and Rose spent the past several winters at their home in Naples, FL.  Gary was a member of Wayzata Community Church.  
He was preceded in death by his parents, John and Lucile Minor; his sister-in-laws Karen Minor and Heidi Minor; his brother-in-law Ronald Olson, and all of his pets Suzie, Ching Poo, Brady, and Oscar.  
Gary is survived by his dedicated wife of 56 years, Rose; child Mike (Sara) Minor; brothers: Dennis (Ann), Pat, Rick (Sarah); and grandchildren: Mason and Avery and his beloved dog Emmy. 
The David Lee Funeral Home of Wayzata is handling the arrangements. 

Gary Keith Minor
April 8, 1945 • July 10, 2022
 
Gary Keith Minor, 77, passed away peacefully at the Chapel View Health Care Center in Hopkins, Minnesota  July 10, 2022.
A service will be held Monday, July 18, 2022 at 3 p.m.  with visitation one hour prior at the Wayzata Community Church, 125 Wayzata Blvd, Wayzata, MN 55391. Memorials preferred to the Minnewaska Lake Association, PO Box 14, Glenwood, MN 56334.  
Gary was born April 8, 1945 in Benson, Minnesota.  Gary graduated from Benson High School in 1963 and attended Dunwoody Technical School where he learned to weld and his ability to build and fix anything was born.  He eloped with his wife and was married in Ironwood, MI.  He enlisted in the Air Force in 1965  where he became an aircraft mechanic working on T38s.  
Gary and his wife lived in the south while he was in service and had many fun experiences attending events like the Firecracker 400.  He was honorably discharged from the Air Force in 1969 at the rank of Staff Sergeant.  After his service to his country, Gary attended Emery Riddle Aeronautical Institute furthering his studies in aircraft maintenance while living in Daytona Beach, FL.  The family moved back to Minnesota and a son was born in 1971.  
Gary also attended the school of hard knocks and worked as a welder for Jacobson Machine Works where he learned everything about the Hammermill industry from his mentor Ralph Jacobson.  Gary worked in the hammermill industry his entire career and was considered a top expert in the field.  He finally developed his own hammermill designs and started his own company manufacturing hammermills.  He worked for 25 years building his company and sold it to Buhler North America in 2016.  
Gary’s mills are used in many industries including feed milling, aqua culture, and ethanol plants where his mill design has greatly increased the efficiency in those plants.  He was proud of the fact that he traveled all over the world installing his mills in areas like Nigeria, Thailand, Mexico, Malaysia and Singapore as well as traveling for vacations to places like the South Pacific, Hawaii and the Cayman Islands.  Gary was also a volunteer firefighter for the city of Golden Valley for 10 years where he rose to the rank of Captain and oversaw the opening of Fire Station #3.  Gary could fix, build or engineer almost anything even without a formal engineering degree.  He influenced many people in his life and his son said we all went to the “Gary Minor School of something” whether it be hammermill manufacturing, automotive climate control or lawn mowing. 
Gary was a generous man and many people have said he would give you the shirt off his back in a snowstorm.  A little known fact is that Gary played Santa Claus for Step By Step Montessori preschools during the holiday season and listened to tens of thousands of children, over 20 years, tell Santa what they wanted for Christmas.  He loved attending his grandchildren’s events and spent countless hours at an ice rink, ball field or volleyball court.  
Gary and Rose spent the past several winters at their home in Naples, FL.  Gary was a member of Wayzata Community Church.  
He was preceded in death by his parents, John and Lucile Minor; his sister-in-laws Karen Minor and Heidi Minor; his brother-in-law Ronald Olson, and all of his pets Suzie, Ching Poo, Brady, and Oscar.  
Gary is survived by his dedicated wife of 56 years, Rose; child Mike (Sara) Minor; brothers: Dennis (Ann), Pat, Rick (Sarah); and grandchildren: Mason and Avery and his beloved dog Emmy. 
The David Lee Funeral Home of Wayzata is handling the arrangements.