Gary Dean Bergstrom (Mr. B) passed away peacefully in his home Wednesday July 31, 2024. He was 81 years old.
Gary was born June 6, 1943 in Holdrege, NE the youngest of 7. He grew up on a farm near Wilcox, NE and graduated from Wilcox High School in 1961. After high school he attended McCook Junior College in McCook, NE until he enlisted in the United States Navy on February 25, 1964. During this time, he attended Radar A school at Treasure Island Naval Station in San Francisco, CA and on May 25, 1965, he reported aboard the destroyer USS McMorris 1036 stationed at Pearl Harbor Naval Station in Honolulu, HI. The day he reported, the ship left for south Vietnam. He would spend the next six months on the coast of Vietnam. He crossed the international dateline and crossed the equator going from a “Pollywog” to a “Golden Shellback”. An international ceremony he called “unbelievable”. Gary described his time in the Navy as giving him a work ethic and stability and helping him grow into the man he would become. He was very proud of his time in the service. During the summer of 1964, while on leave from the Navy, he was set up on blind date with Kathryn (Kathy) Ann Orvis of Wilsonville, NE. Over the next two years they communicated primarily through letters with a few dates while on leave. Then on December 23, 1966, Gary and Kathy married in Wilsonville, NE and Kathy joined Gary in Hawaii. Five weeks after getting married, on January 31, 1967, Gary’s ship, the USS McMorris, was struck by the USS Tombigbee AOC 11, a diesel carrying refueling ship. Gary was trapped in his bunker for some time but survived the shipwreck relatively unscathed. He was proud of his time aboard the USS McMorris and attended a reunion for the ship several years ago. January 10, 1968 Gary was honorably discharged from the United States Navy and retuned to Nebraska to continue his education at McCook Junior College before enrolling at Kearney State College (University of Nebraska-Kearney) fall 1968. In May 1972, Gary graduated with his degree in education. During his time at Kearney State, he and Kathy welcomed their first child, son Jeffrey born summer 1971. Following graduation, Gary took his first teaching and coaching position at Blue Hill, NE teaching social studies, drivers education, and was the head football, assistant basketball and track coach. Following Blue Hill, he took a position in Stanton, NE in 1973 so he and Kathy (an elementary art teacher) could teach in the same school district. During the summer of 1975, Gary and his family moved across the Missouri River and would spend the next 40 years living and teaching in Iowa. In Iowa, Gary first taught social studies and drivers education at Bridgewater Fontanelle. He was the head football, assistant boys basketball and head boys track coach. Also in the fall of 1975, Gary and Kathy welcomed their daughter, Jodi. During the summer of 1978, Gary and his family moved to Griswold, IA where Gary taught and coached until his retirement in 2005. During his time in Griswold, Gary taught high school social studies and drivers education. He coached the following while in Griswold: head coach of boys track, girls and boys cross country, assistant coach of football, assistant coach of basketball, baseball, softball and volleyball. In 2005 he coached the boys track team, along with assistant coach Jane Chaillie, to an Iowa Boys State Championship in class 1A. Then in 2006, they finished as runner-up in class 1A. Gary said he was also fortunate to coach one state softball participant (1986) and three state football player participants (1983, 1988, 1989). Reflecting on his journey as a coach Gary said, “as I always tell my kids—What a ride”. In 2017, Gary was inducted in the KMA Sports Hall of Fame. As an educator and leader in the classroom, he also helped organize, and lead, the first, and many thereafter, junior and senior student trips to Washington D.C. starting fall 1994. In 1985 Gary received his Master’s in Education Administration from Northwest Missouri State in Maryville, MO. After retiring, Gary continued to be a dedicated member of the Griswold community. He helped organize bus trips for adult members of the community to New York City, Washington D.C., Philadelphia, Cape Cod, Niagara Falls, and New England. He was a member of the Griswold City Council, the American Legion, an announcer for all boys’ and girls’ basketball games and the official scorer for all home and away basketball games. He announced homecoming activities, grand marches for Jr./Sr. proms and pep rallies. He worked the voting booth and was the Chairman of the Griswold United Methodist Church Administrative board. And he continued to sub at the high school on a regular basis. In 2015 Gary and Kathy moved to Lincoln, NE to be closer to family, and husker football. Reflecting on coaching and teaching Gary said “looking back, I realized I have taught nearly 4,500 students and have coached several hundred athletes. That is a lot of lives to touch”. Gary was a member of Griswold United Methodist Church in Griswold, IA and First United Methodist Church in Lincoln, NE.
He is proceeded in death by his parents, Stanley and Lucille (Lippstreu) Bergstrom, his brothers, Ronald Bergstrom and Merrill Bergstrom, and his sisters, Ruth Burchell (Bergstrom) and Connie Hasbrouck (Bergstrom).
Gary is survived by his beloved wife of 58 years, Kathy Bergstrom, his son, Jeff and his daughter-in-law, Aaron (Nickelson), who live in Elkhorn, NE, his daughter, Jodi, who lives in Lincoln, NE, and sisters, Rose Marie Taylor (Bergstrom), of Minden, NE and Rogene Baxter (Bergstrom), of Minden, NE.
A military service will be held at Omaha National Cemetery on Friday, August 9, 2024 at 1:30
A celebration of life will be held Saturday, August 24, 2024 from 11:00 am – 4:00 pm at the Griswold Community Building in Griswold, IA.
In lieu of flowers the family requests donations be made to the Griswold Sports Boosters, Griswold, IA.