Wilbur Wayne Winblad

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Winblad, Wilbur Wayne 'Soup' age 86, of Rosemount, died on October 18, 2009. He was born to second-generation Swedish immigrants Amanda and David Winblad on September 9, 1923, in Red Wing. At Red Wing High School, he lettered in basketball, baseball and football, leading two basketball teams to the state championship game. Soup was also named All-State Basketball Guard and All-Southern Minnesota Halfback in 1941. After spending a semester at Bemidji State College, he volunteered to serve in WWII as a member of the Marine Corps. He served in the South Pacific, and was honorably discharged as a sergeant in 1946. Following his military service, Soup attended Winona State Teacherís College (now called Winona State University), where he was a three-sport star athlete. Among his many awards, he was named the college ís Most Valuable Football Player in 1946, and was inducted into Winona State University's Athletic Hall of Fame in 1987. Soup was also named a Minnesota Sports Champ in 1958 by the Minnesota State Centennial Commission and Governor Orville Freeman. He graduated from Winona State in 1949, and married Elizabeth Patricia 'Patty' (Stark) Winblad, who would become his daily companion and best friend for nearly 60 years. Soup was a teacher and the head basketball coach at Rushford High School from 1949 to 1954. For the next 18 years, he taught history, served as a guidance counselor, coached basketball and was athletic director at Farmington High School. In 1968, he graduated with a Masters of Arts from the College of St. Thomas. Soup was named Farmington High School Teacher of the Year in 1970 and in 1992 named to their Athletic Hall of Fame. In 1972, Soup became the first guidance counselor at the Dakota County Technical College in Rosemount, where he was given the Teacher of Excellence Award in 1980 and in 2008 was the first recipient of the Spirit of Dakota County Technical College for 'exceptional service to the college'. He worked as a traveling recruiter for the college until his retirement. He is preceded in death by his parents and by his dearly loved sister and brothers, Vernon 'Tump', Elaine 'Dolly', Donald 'Clump', Harold 'Bear', and Ralph 'Pusa'. His wife survives him, as well as their children, Ann Winblad, Mary Regenscheid (Jim), Susie Shields (Denny), Dave Winblad (Diane), Patty Jorgenson (Brett), and Kathy Winblad-Polk. He adored his five grandchildren, Jamie Bruemmer (Jon), Chris Shields (Alyssa), Nate Winblad (Heather), Bryce Winblad, Jarvas Polk, and great-grandson Jacob Bruemmer. In lieu of flowers, memorials are preferred to the Winona State University Warrior Club, care of WSU Foundation, P.O. Box 5838, Winona, MN, 55987. Funeral service, 11 a.m. Thursday, October 22, at Easter Lutheran Church, 4200 Pilot Knob Rd., in Eagan; visitation will be held from 5 to 8 p.m. Wednesday at White Funeral Home, 901 Third St., Farmington, and one hour prior to the service at church. Interment will be at Fort Snelling. soupwinblad.com. White Funeral Home Farmington 651-463-7374 whitefuneralhomes.com

Published on October 20, 2009