Gary Dean Wytaske

Gary Dean Wytaske

November 28, 1952 – June 28, 2026

Gary Dean Wytaske passed away peacefully on June 28, 2026, with his daughter, Jamie, at his side.

Gary was preceded in death by his son, Alex; his parents, Cecil and Marjorie Wytaske; and his brother, Michael.

Gary grew up in Babbitt, MN, where he developed a love for hockey, competition, and small-town life. One of his earliest adventures came in 1965 when he competed in the All-American Soap Box Derby in a car he helped build with his dad. When his father accepted a position with 3M Chemolite during Gary's senior year of high school, the Wytaske family moved to Hastings. Gary graduated with the Hastings High School Class of 1971 and, as he liked to tell it, arrived just in time to help the Raiders make a run in the State Hockey Tournament.

Hockey was woven into nearly every chapter of Gary's life. Known to some as "Babbitt the Rabbit," he was a gifted player whose speed and skill opened doors far beyond the local rink. After high school, he was drafted into the U.S. Army during the Vietnam era, studied Greek at the Defense Language Institute in California, and continued playing hockey during his military service. Afterward, he attended the University of Northern Iowa and played semi-professional hockey for the Waterloo Black Hawks.

No matter where life took him, Hastings always called him home. Gary returned to his beloved river town, served in the National Guard, and built a career with the City of Hastings Public Works Department. For more than 20 years, he helped keep the city running, spending much of his time supporting operations at the hydroelectric plant alongside the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers at Lock and Dam No. 2 before retiring in 2015.

Gary loved a competitive game of cribbage, spending many happy hours around the card table with family and friends. He was also an avid sports fan, especially when it came to football, baseball, hockey, and golf, and rarely passed up a chance to talk about them.

He found joy in a perfectly mowed lawn, a cat on his lap, and a front-row seat to life in the cul-de-sac he affectionately called "the hood." Whether sharing stories, waving to neighbors, or keeping up with the latest happenings, Gary became a familiar and welcome presence in the neighborhood he loved most.

To know Gary was to know a man who didn't do anything halfway. He had a strong personality, a quick wit, and a presence that could fill a room. He was charming, opinionated, lovable, and occasionally intimidating - all qualities that made him unmistakably Gary.

He is survived by his wife, Glenda; daughter Jamie (Joe) Donlin; grandchildren Max and Addie; daughter-in-law Liz (wife of his late son Alex), brother Steve (Kaye) Wytaske; sister Marlene (Dave) Kokkeler; sister Dianna Butler; and many other nieces, nephews, relatives, and lifelong friends who will miss his stories, his humor, and his larger-than-life spirit.

Gary's story was one of service, friendship, loyalty, and hometown pride. He loved Hastings, and Hastings loved him right back.

Please join us in celebrating Gary's life on Monday, July 20, from 5:00 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. at The Studio Downtown (205 2nd St. East, Hastings, MN, 55033).