Gary A. Wellner

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Wellner, Gary A. Age 70, of Brooklyn Park, MN passed away December 24, 2014 after bravely fighting pancreatic cancer for 5 1/2 years. Gary, the fourth of eight children of Dr. Theodore O. Wellner and Dorothy Wellner, born August 17, 1944 in Preston, MN. Preceded in death by his parents, sister Dodie Hoke, brother Richard Wellner and daughter Dawn Christoffersen. Survived by his wife Gail Franke Wellner, step daughter Wendy Woodley (Mike), brothers Ted (Myrna), Robert (Marlene), James (Janet) and sisters Pam Oldenburg (Gary) and Georgia Wellner. He was also the proud grandfather of Hayley and Hunter Hoaglund, Jackson Woodley, Joshua, Jonathan and Jacob Baxton and Alyssa Christoffersen. Gary graduated from John Marshall High School (Rochester, MN) received his AA from Rochester Junior College, BS & MA from Winona State College. Gary taught in Prairie Du Chien, WI, Metropolitan Junior College in Mpls, MN and Anoka-Ramsey Community College for 38 years. He taught and coached many sports but was best known as a wrestling coach at ARCC. An accomplished high school and college wrestler who later become a dedicated coach, mentor and advisor. Gary was a loyal devotee of the University of Minnesota wrestling program and proudly attended 37 NCAA wrestling tournaments in succession. Since his cancer diagnosis in 2009, Gary founded a charity to fund pancreatic caner research/treatment at the University of MN. Memorials preferred to Gary's Gift to TakeDown Pancreatic Cancer at the University of Minnesota. A celebration of his life will be held on Saturday January 3, 2015 at Edinburgh USA in Brooklyn Park, MN from 12:30-3pm.

Published on December 28, 2014