Roy C. Gessner

Gessner Roy C., born July 2, 1910 in Hibbing, MN, to mother Anna and father Henry, died January 23, 2003 in Naples, FL. Roy is survived by his wife, Marion; his sons, Tom & Pat, John & Linda; 6 grandchildren; and 4 great-grandchildren. He captured Marion in 1989 and often said that he was the luckiest man alive to have been married to, loved by, and to have loved two wonderful women. Roy is survived by Marion's children, Joel & Bonnie Phillippi, Kathy & Bill Fox, Mike & Kathy Phillippi, Gail & Scott Archer, Marilyn Phillippi, Sally & Brad Hunner and Marion's 11 grandchildren; and 1 great-grandchild. Roy is preceded in death by his first wife, Janet, who passed in 1987, and his siblings, Lucille, Alice, and Lester. Roy attended Hibbing Junior College, the University of Minnesota and the University of Minnesota Dental School graduating with his DDS degree in the midst of the depression in the early thirties. He began his dental practice in Big Fork, MN and soon thereafter moved his office to Grand Rapids, MN where he planned to spend his career. His plans were interrupted by the attack on Pearl Harbor. He served as a dentist in the US Navy from 1942 to the fall of 1945. He was attached to the Marines on the Island of Guam for the last year of his military service. After the war he set up his dental office in Minneapolis, MN where he practiced until his retirement in 1982. Aside from his family, he most deeply cared for his thousands of patients; each one was like family to him. He loved to hunt, fish, and paint and was passionate about golf. He was a member of the Minikahda Club in Minneapolis and the Moorings in Naples. His good humor and happy disposition will be missed by all who knew him. There will be a memorial service for Roy on Saturday, Jan. 25th at 11:00 AM at St. Ann Catholic Parish, 475 9th Ave South, Naples, FL. In addition, there will be a memorial service in Minneapolis in June. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to St. Ann School, 475 9th Ave South, Naples, FL 34102

Published on January 26, 2003