Richard L. Torgerson

Richard L. Torgerson, 79, Retired Luther College President, died Sunday, October 30, 2022.Richard was born in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada on July 26, 1943. His father operated a wheat farm and his mother was a school teacher. He left the family farm to attend college at Concordia College in Moorhead, Minnesota, where he completed a bachelor’s degree with majors in biology and physical education. He and Judy Carlson were fellow members of the class of 1964 at Concordia, and they married soon after their graduation. They moved to Pullman, Washington, where Judy taught in the elementary schools and Rick completed a master’s degree in entomology in 1966 and a doctorate in entomology and zoology in 1969 at Washington State University.There followed 30 years of teaching and administrative work at five different colleges prior to going to Luther College in 1999 - three years as Assistant Professor of Biology at Wartburg College in Waverly, Iowa; 10 years on the faculty of biology at Texas Lutheran College in Seguin, Texas, the final two years serving as Assistant Dean for Academic Affairs; three years as Vice President for Academic Affairs and Academic Dean at Baker University in Baldwin City, Kansas; seven years as Vice President and Academic Dean at Bethany College in Lindsborg, Kansas, including a year as Acting President; six years as Vice President for Development of Wartburg College; and a year-and-a-half as Vice President for Development at Gustavus Adolphus College in St. Peter, Minnesota. Richard served as the ninth President of Luther College for 14 years before retiring in 2013. While he was serving at Luther College in Decorah, Iowa, he enjoyed many visits with family in Decorah. Visits often included trips to the Whippy Dip, Mabe’s Pizza, and running on the “blue road” (Luther track).Rick was preceded in death by his parents, Godfrey and Margaret Torgerson. Survived by his wife of 58 years, Judith A. Torgerson; sons, Brennan (Kristie) Torgerson of Hutchinson, KS, Korey (Deana) Torgerson of Andover, KS; sister, Marilyn (Jon) Seguire; grandchildren, Trevor (Helen) Torgerson, Taryn Torgerson, Quinn Torgerson, Drew Torgerson, Cole Torgerson; great-granddaughter, Ella Grace Torgerson; several nieces, nephews, and cousins.In his younger years, Rick enjoyed participating in many sports including hockey, football, and baseball. He continued his passion for sports into college playing football and hockey. When Brennan and Korey began participating in sports, Rick was involved in coaching their youth sports teams. He also spent many hours working with his dad on the family farm before beginning the journey to dedicate his life to servant leadership in higher education. Rick was very driven in everything he did. When he wasn’t leading or fundraising, he loved to play golf, travel, and spend time with his grandkids. After Rick retired in 2013, he spent many hours on the golf course, at the ballpark, and in a gym watching his grandkids compete and cheering them on. In addition to watching his grandkids participate in countless activities; he and Judy loved to travel abroad and go on cruises together with their friends. Before moving to Kansas to be with family, Rick and Judy enjoyed their years in Minnesota and he could always provide updates on how his Vikings and Twins were doing. Wherever Rick was, he continued to follow and support Luther College activities. A celebration of life is planned for Saturday, November 19th, at 11:00 am at Normandale Lutheran Church in Edina, Minnesota. The family will also be hosting a visitation on Friday, November 18th, from 4:30-6:30 pm at Normandale Lutheran Church. In lieu of flowers, memorials have been established with Normandale Lutheran Church, 6100 Normandale Rd., Edina, MN 55436; and Luther College, 700 College Dr., Decorah, IA 52101.