Gilbert Thoele

Gilbert Bergquist Thoele passed away in Sun City, Arizona on March 28, 2020, at age 89. Gil was born in St. Paul on April 25, 1930 to Mabel (née Bergquist) and Gilbert F. Thoele. He was preceded in death by his sister Jeanette Noren. He was the devoted husband of the late Martha (née Berglund) Thoele for 61 years. He is survived by his loving family: David (Marla) of Chicago, Susan Younkin (Paul) of Foothill Ranch, CA, and Blake (Karin) of Clarendon hills, IL; grandchildren: Clare, Connor, Blake, Dirk, Samuel; sister-in-law Audrey Rensted of North Oaks, MN, brother-in-law Harold Berglund of Hudson, WI, and many nieces, nephews and friends. He died after falling while walking on a path near his house in Arizona, of an apparent cardiac event. Gil was walking in his neighborhood because his local recreation center — where he worked out six days a week — was closed because of the pandemic. The former owner of Thoele Printing was upbeat, enthusiastic, a relentless promoter of St. Paul, community work, and fun. He grew up on St. Paul’s East Side, graduated from Harding High School in 1948, and studied printing at the Dunwoody Institute in Minneapolis. During the Korean War, he served in the U.S. Army in Baltimore, printing identification cards. One of his passions was the St. Paul Winter Carnival. He served in the Royal Guard in 1960, 10 years on the button committee, served as Prime Minister in 1970, was crowned King Boreas Rex LV in 1991, and served as co-chair in charge of building the 2004 Ice Palace. Gil was a member of many organizations and clubs and groups simultaneously, and never missed a meeting, especially if there was food involved. He was one of the founding members of the Club With No Name (a social and service club at the YWCA), where he held offices including President; director of the St. Paul Jaycees; district chairman of the Greater East Side Indianhead Boy Scout Council of St. Paul; chairman of United Fund’s local small-business recruitment; president of St. Paul Toastmasters club; secretary of Pioneer Hook and Ladder Volunteers of St. Paul; president and director of the Executive Association of St. Paul; president of the St. Paul Rotary Club; director of the St. Paul Chamber of Commerce; and member of the city’s Advisory Council for Secondary Education. Gil’s faith was important to him, and he was active in his church communities. He was head usher at Arlington Hills Lutheran Church for many years, served on the Board of Directors at the Union Gospel Mission Twin Cities, where he was also active in weekly Bible study, and he received the WCCO Good Neighbor Award for his service to the Union Gospel Mission. In recent years, he was an active member of Woodbury Lutheran Church in Woodbury, MN and American Lutheran Church in Sun City, AZ, where he attended weekly Bible study groups, was President and chief organizer of Wednesday Night Alive, and served with Stephen Ministry in Sun City. He was president of his Homeowner’s Association in Sun City West for 20 years, president of the Minnesota Club, and an active member of the Scandinavian Club. Services will be held at Woodbury Lutheran Church, Woodbury, MN, and American Lutheran Church, Sun City, AZ, at a later date, due to the limitations and restrictions from COVID-19.

Noteworthy articles from the Pioneer Press and Pulse:

https://www.twincities.com/2020/03/30/obituary-gil-thoele-tirelessly-showed-commitment-to-church-and-community/

https://pulsevoices.org/index.php/pulse-more-voices/more-voices-2020/covid-19/2478-saying-goodbye-through-the-loving-hands-of-a-nurse%E2%80%9D