Gary Schult

Gary Schult, age 85 of Cottage Grove, passed away December 4, 2021 following a brief battle with ALS.

Mass of Christian Burial will be at 11 am, Friday, December 10, 2021 at St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Church, 920 Holley Ave., St. Paul Park with visitation starting at 9 am until the time of service.  Interment will be at Union Cemetery with a luncheon to be held following at St. Thomas Aquinas.  In lieu of memorials, your love and kindness is sufficient.

Gary William Schult was born October 11, 1936 in St. Paul, Minnesota to William and Mildred (Penshorn) Schult.  He grew up in St. Paul and graduated from Johnson High School in 1954.  He attended Dunwoody Institute and the University of Minnesota where he studied mechanical engineering.  During his working career he worked with Honeywell and Data Products for several years as well as Sheldahl Inc. for 33 years until he retired in 1999.  Gary kept busy after retirement where he worked part-time as a fabricator for Kannegiesser ETECH for 15 years.

Gary married his high school sweetheart, Joanne Barnes in 1956 and bought a home in Maplewood where they started their family.  In 1965 he took a job transfer to California where they lived briefly before returning to Minnesota making their home in Cottage Grove.

He enjoyed being with his close friends, bowling, playing bocce ball, golfing, hunting, fishing and spending time at their cabin in Amery, Wisconsin.  Gary was known as a kind, welcoming and selfless person who loved his family and enjoyed being intermixed in their lives.  He found joy in helping others and was one of the nicest, easy going people you would ever meet.

Gary is survived by his sons Tom (Sheri), Jim (Nancy) and Joe (Beth); grandchildren Tony (Tonya), Cassie (Adam) DuFresne, Scott, Jacie, Charlie (Cheyanne), Joey and Michael; great-grandchildren Sophia, Brooks, Luca and Annie; sister Nancy Stack; sister-in-law Barb Hovseth; as well as longtime friends Withee Wright, Don Kealy, Clayton Blekeberg, Pat & Bud Mohwinkel, Tom McCauley and Diane Demma and many more close friends as well as his faithful dog Ben.  He is preceded in death by his wife Joanne; parents William and Mildred; step-father Carl Hovseth, step-brother Rudy Hovseth; brother-in-law Hank Stack and mother and father-in-law Charles and Helen Barnes.

LIVESTREAM INFORMATION:  For those who would like to participate in Gary’s service via livestream, you can watch the service on Friday, December 10, 2021 at 11:00 am.  It can be viewed by scrolling to the bottom of this page, and "CLICK PLAY" to begin.  Please leave a message of support on our Tribute Wall to let the family know you were able to watch the service.  If you are having troubles with the Livestream, the service will be available to watch later in the day.