John Merritt Aldritt

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Aldritt, John Merritt Reunited with his loving wife of 57 years, Janet, on August 14, 2016 at the age of 88. In addition to Janet, John is preceded in death by his parents Alfred and Helen Aldritt along with his brother Tom Aldritt. John is survived by children Pat (Mark Schwartz), John (Jackie), Tom, and Colleen (Chad Sulheim). Grandchildren James, Levi, Corey, Ben, JT, and Justin. Great Grandchildren Bella and Giahnna . John was born on January 17, 1928 in Minneapolis. He attended Minneapolis Southwest High School and the University of Minnesota. It was at the U of M where he met Janet. John also became a member of the "M" club at the university. John and Janet were married on June 23, 1951. They raised their family in Deephaven before moving to Tonka Bay. They spent their retirement years in Cape Coral, FL. John and Janet were inseparable over their lifetime together. Both were avid gardeners and enjoyed traveling. John and Janet also enjoyed attending and watching their favorite sports teams The Vikings, Gophers and Twins. John and Janet were owners of Aldritt Athletic Goods Company. His father started the company on John's birthday in 1941. John and his father supplied uniforms and equipment to the University of Minnesota for decades. John also supplied the Minnesota Vikings with their uniforms and equipment for the first 10 years of the Vikings existence. In addition to providing the Vikings with their equipment, John also designed one of the most iconic symbols in Minnesota sports the logo on the Vikings football helmet. John had a very good relationship with the Vikings 1st head coach, Norm Van Brocklin. It was Van Brocklin who asked John to come up with a design for the helmet. The one stipulation was the logo had to be a horn. Years later John would say, "There's only so much you can do with a horn." A legacy brick recognizing his design will be laid at U. S. Bank Stadium. Due to John's relationship with the Vikings, he purchased season tickets on the 1st day season tickets became available in 1960. The family continues that tradition with season tickets at U. S. Bank Stadium. In 1975, John and his father were recognized by the Minnesota State High School League for their years of officiating high school track and field meets. John was a member of the Excelsior Men's Garden Club for over 40 years. His daughter Pat made sure he was able to attend the garden club meetings as his health deteriorated. He always looked forward to getting together with his friends at the garden club for breakfast and coffee. In lieu of flowers, memorials are preferred to the Excelsior Men's Garden Club. A visitation will be held from 3:00 6:00 on Tuesday, August 23 at Huber Funeral Home, 520 Second Street, Excelsior, MN. Immediately following the visitation there will be a gathering for family and friends. Huber Funeral & Cremation Services Excelsior Chapel 952-474-9595 huberfunerals.com

Published on August 21, 2016