Daniel Funeral Home & Cremation Service

Gary Formhals

September 15, 1943 – January 25, 2021

A public visitation will be held from 4-7 p.m. on Friday, January 29, 2021 at the Daniel Funeral Home in St. Cloud for Gary Karl Formhals, age 77, of St. Cloud.  Masks and social distancing will be observed.  A private entombment will take place in the Assumption Cemetery Mausoleum in St. Cloud.

Gary was born on Sept 15, 1943 in Glencoe Minnesota to Karl and Mabel (Fischer) Formhals.  He grew up on the family farm between Gaylord and Arlington MN.  He graduated from Arlington Green Isle High School in 1961.  He attended Mankato State and graduated with a BA degree in 1965. After he graduated, he went to work for Burroughs Corporation.  He transferred to St Cloud in 1968.  In 1974, he started Computer Concepts and sold that and then started Printout Magazine.  In 1980, he started Automation Supply Company which he ran until his retirement in 2004. 

Gary married the love of his life, Linda Rengel, on May 4, 1974. Together they had two children, Bryan and Megan, and also raised Gary’s two sons, Christopher and Justin.

Gary and Linda enjoyed fishing and traveling together, especially after his retirement.  He was an avid gardener, growing many wonderful vegetable and perennial gardens. He also had a Minnesota wildflower garden for over 20 years before they moved to a new patio home in 2014.  Although he was not able to plant and maintain his perennial gardens in his new home, his good friend Paul Huls has planted and maintained them for him.  

In his retirement, he spent many hours on genealogy and had traced his family and Linda’s family back to the 1600s.  He has an extensive family tree under Family Search.org. 

Gary was also a “bird watcher”.  Every year on Jan 1, he’d start writing the date that he first saw a bird.  He has over 30 years of history on the bird arrivals seen in his yards.

Gary passed away peacefully, with his wife by his side, on Jan 25, 2021 at the St Cloud Hospital due to complications of COPD.  He did not have COVID 19.

He is survived by his best friend and love of his life Linda, sons Christopher, Justin and Bryan, daughter Megan (Jason) Blommer, and his precious grandsons Jaden and twins Adam and Case Blommer as well as other relatives and friends.

He was preceded in death by his parents, and sister Darlyne Lehrke.

The family would like to thank the Staff on the 5th floor, Medical Progressive Unit, at the St. Cloud Hospital, for their wonderful and compassionate care of Gary in his last days.


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Schedule Details

 

A public visitation will be held from 4-7 p.m. on Friday, January 29, 2021 at the Daniel Funeral Home in St. Cloud for Gary Karl Formhals, age 77, of St. Cloud.  Masks and social distancing will be observed.  A private entombment will take place in the Assumption Cemetery Mausoleum in St. Cloud.