Gary Edward Rohde, 85, passed away peacefully at his residence at Woodland Hills in Hudson, WI on April 17th, 2024, after a long battle with Parkinson’s Disease.
Gary was born on October 24th, 1938, in Neillsville, WI to Gilbert and Lucille (Schwarze) Rohde. He was raised on a dairy farm in Greenwood where his love for agriculture began. He graduated from Greenwood High School in 1956 where he excelled in athletics and academics. After high school, Gary attended UW-River Falls, earning his bachelor’s degree in Agricultural Education. He married the love of his life, Helen Stewart, on June 18th, 1960. Soon after their marriage, Gary began his career as an educator, a path that would become a significant part of his identity. Gary had a passion for learning and went on to earn his master’s and PhD in Agricultural Economics at UW-Madison.
Gary became a professor at UW-River Falls in 1966, until he was appointed as the WI Secretary of Agriculture by Governor Patrick Lucey in 1976. He remained in his role until 1981 when he resigned to return to UW-River Falls as the Dean of the College of Agriculture. Despite receiving numerous accolades and awards during his remarkable career, his greatest fulfillment stemmed from mentoring the upcoming generation of students in the agricultural field. Gary was well-respected by his colleagues, many of whom became lifelong friends. In any office Gary occupied, you could expect to see two plaques sitting on his desk: “My attitude is positive” and “Expect the Best”. Gary retired from UW-River Falls in 1999, but remained active on numerous boards and committees, including an appointment to the WI DNR Board in 2008.
Gary loved nothing more than spending time with his family at their cabin on North Sand Lake in Webster, WI. Most of his days were spent cutting wood, earning him the nickname Lumberjack, while his evenings consisted of enjoying the beautiful sunset from the deck. Often, a card game full of enlightening conversation with family and friends was his favorite way to conclude the day. Gary loved to share his optimistic perspective, and instilled values in his children and grandchildren that will be carried on for generations.
Gary will be sadly missed by his sons, Dean (Laurie), Doug (Pam), Steve (Crystal), his grandchildren, Jackson (Ali), Mason, Kaitlyn, Madison, Maxx, Whitney, his great-grandchildren, Tenley and Wade, his siblings, Richard (Marge) Rohde, Alan (Peg) Rohde, Gil (Bonnie) Rohde, LeAnn (Tom) Pfremmer, and many other family members.
Gary was preceded in death by his parents, Gilbert and Lucille (Schwarze) Rohde, his aunt, Alice Rohde, and his loving wife, Helen (Stewart) Rohde.
A Celebration of Gary’s Life will be held on Thursday, April 25th, 2024, at Spirit of Grace Methodist Church, 127 S. 2nd Street River Falls, WI 54022. Visitation will begin at 10:30AM and the service will be held at 12:00PM with a luncheon to follow. Interment will be at the Greenwood Cemetery in River Falls at a later date.
Arrangements are with O’Connell Funeral Home in Hudson, WI.
To view Gary’s service through livestream, please click HERE
Add my name to the long list of students whom Dr. Rohde profoundly influenced. I attended UWRF in the early 1970s, at a point when he was firmly established as a teacher but just before he was called to serve the State. He was a memorable professor and a couple of my favorite UWRF memories come from his marketing class. He was also a much appreciated mentor outside the classroom. I also went on to a career in higher education and can definitely attest that there is great satisfaction in working with students and helping them grow and achieve their goals. He was one of the best.
So very sorry for your loss Rohde family. I remember your dad very fondly from childhood. He was always such a friendly guy! I was not aware he also had Parkinson’s disease like my mom. We will certainly add him to our moment of silence during our Parkinson’s event this weekend. Prayers to you all.
To the Rodhe family- my condolences on your loss of Gary. My dad Jerry Blachowiak was at the men’s table with Gary at Woodland Hill for the past year or so after Gary moved into the speciality care. My Dad also suffers from Parkinson’s and is widowed. I would frequently swing by around their dinner time on my way home from work for the day, I enjoyed talking with Gary as well and he was very proud of his family . They would have been fantastic friends earlier in life as well as my dad was also a lumberjack and had a place for years in stone lake, WI in retirement and very much enjoyed the northwoods. I am glad they were able to be of some company to each other this last year. Gary would often help my dad by helping to answer my questions about their day.