Richard Kenneth Gregory

Richard Kenneth Gregory passed away peacefully October 17, 2024 at the age of 74. After spending his childhood in St Cloud, MN, Richard served in the Vietnam War from 1970 to 1972 where he met and married his wife, Bay Ly. When they returned to America, Richard and Bay had 2 children, Lee and Scott. Richard also attended the U of M where he studied Forestry and Chemistry, and later obtained a certificate of completion for Building Operating Equipment Maintenance at the Vo-Tech Institute. Over the following 18 years, Richard was employed as a Building Maintenance Engineer for Unisys and eventually Lockheed Martin.

Richard was a progressive thinker, funny, laid back, and very dedicated to his wife and family. His love of nature, gardening, and the outdoors led him to purchase land in Winter, Wisconsin, where he and his family would spend countless weekends and evenings constructing a hand-built stone cabin over the span of ten years. One of the highlights from the Winter era was making homemade maple syrup in the Maple Shack nestled in a vast maple forest. Richard loved handing out jars of homemade maple syrup every Christmas, and friends and family loved receiving them. Another fond memory of Winter was the Sauna Hut, hand-built from pine wood planks and fed from a deep spring well. The family will never forget the smells of the wood burning stove mixed with steamed pine planks on a cold Winter’s day. Eventually the long commutes took their toll and the family sold the Winter property and bought land on Bass Lake near Luck, Wisconsin. A lot of fishing ensued on that beloved property over the course of many years. Eventually that land was sold and Richard bought his final vacation property in Shafer, MN. There, Richard immersed himself in the horse-shoeing craft and trained his new horse named Bo. He also raised honey bees and made the most sweetly delectable honey savored by family and friends.

 When his wife Bay had a stroke in 2014, Richard became her caretaker. He helped her work with her disabilities so that both thrived in home and garden. His family is immensely proud of and grateful for his dedication and perseverance.

 Left to cherish his memory is his wife Bay Gregory, St. Paul, MN; sons, Lee (Pamela Rooke) Gregory, Farmington, MN; Scott (Trisha Groth) Gregory, St. Paul, MN; sisters and brothers, Jeani (Ed Cooney) Kowitz, Glendale, AZ; Barb Gregory, Cold Springs, MN; Carol (Fred) Duke, Burtrum, MN; Kim Gregory, St. Cloud, MN; Mary (Wayne) Laudenbach, St. Augusta, MN; Brian (Debbie Schlangen) Gregory, Cold Springs, MN; Jeff Gregory, St. Cloud, MN; Mark Gregory, South Haven, MN; Lori (Lee) Ebhert, Colorado Springs, CO; 1 beloved grandchild, Atticus Gregory; and many nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents, Kenneth and Renee; brothers, James and John; and nephew Sean Duke.

Memorial service will held at Kessler Maguire Funeral Home (640 West 7th St., St. Paul, MN 55201) on November 8 at 11am with a visitation 1 hour prior.

** There has been an error in the Pioneer Press on the timing of Richard’s service on November 8th. The correct time is 11 am service with a visitation 1 hour prior. We apologize for any confusion this may have caused.