Donald R. Nylund, 88, St. Cloud

March 28, 1927 - July 29, 2015

Donald (Don) R. Nylund, beloved husband, father, grandfather, age 88, St. Cloud, MN, went home to be with his Lord and Savior on Wednesday, July 29th, 2015. He passed away peacefully at his daughter's home in Wisconsin, surrounded by his family, after a short battle with colon cancer.

Funeral services will be Monday, August 3rd, at 1:00 PM at Bethlehem Lutheran Church, St. Cloud, MN. The Rev. Janine Olson will officiate. Visitation will be two hours prior to the service at the church on 4310 County Road 137, St. Cloud, MN. Interment will be on Tuesday, August 4, at Pinewood Cemetery, Crosslake, MN. Funeral arrangements were made by Benson Funeral Home, St. Cloud, MN.

Don Nylund was born March 28th, 1927 to John and Clara (Lower) Nylund in Cook, Minnesota. He graduated from Cook High School in 1945. Don served in the Army Air Force during World War II. He was stationed at Goose Bay, Labrador. He attended Luther College in Decorah, Iowa, where he became a basketball standout. Don married Shirley R. McNally on June 17th, 1950, at Marion Lutheran Church in Gunder, Iowa. After graduating from Luther College in 1951, Don began his career as a teacher and coach at Elbow Lake High School, in Elbow Lake, MN. After four years, and exceptional winning records in both football and basketball, Don moved his young family to St. Cloud, MN, in 1955 to become Head Football Coach at Tech High School, while also teaching physical education. He earned his Master's degree from St. Cloud State University. Don finished his coaching career in football at Tech in 1973, after 19 years. Don taught several more years at Tech High School, retiring in 1985. He was inducted into the Luther College Athletic Hall of Fame in 1974, the Minnesota High School Football Coaches Hall of Fame in 1982, and the St. Cloud Tech High School Athletic Hall of Fame. Don pursued his lifelong dream of building a log home in northern Minnesota. Working mostly by himself, he completed the cabin 15 years later. Other interests included many canoe trips with his sons, and friends, to the Boundary Waters of Minnesota/Canada, and Quetico National Park, and Northwest Territories of Canada. Don also pursued his love of deer hunting in northern Minnesota over the past 40 years. He was a longtime member of Bethlehem Lutheran Church, MEA, and TRA.

Don is survived by his 3 sons and daughter, Steven (Mary) Nylund of Rogers, MN; Donovan Nylund of Belmont, NC; Jeff (Terri) Nylund of Ramsey, MN; Julie (Michael) Cadalbert of Janesville, WI; four grandchildren, Jennifer (Nylund) Surla, Jaclyn (Nylund) Miller, Rachel (Nylund) Turkowski, and Jacob Nylund; seven great grandchildren, Adam Miller, Juliana Miller, Carrie Surla, Logan Turkowski, Katie Miller, Sean Turkowski, and Ben Surla; brother and sisters, John (Kathy) Nylund of Cook, MN; Marilyn (Gene) Jenkins of Cook, MN; Charlotte (Bud) Bystrom of Crane Lake, MN; and Jackie (Warren) Bradbury of Crane Lake, MN. He was preceded in death by his parents, and his beloved wife, Shirley.

Memorials are preferred to the Alzheimer's Association.

Pallbearers will be his grandchildren, his brother John Nylund, and sister Jackie Bradbury.