Good morning. My name is Laura Jean Torgerson. I am the second of four children of David and Judy Torgerson. I am David’s eldest daughter and to me, he was always Daddy.
But our father was many things. He was:
- The grandson of Norwegian immigrants who came through Ellis Island
- A working class Catholic kid from Minneapolis who always supported unions (and the Minnesota Vikings)
- a loving Son born to a Polish mother and Norwegian father when they were 40 years old
- An adoring younger brother to our uncle Ron, who turned 88 yesterday
- With his brother, the first generation of his family to graduate college
- a dedicated Metro commuter
- A macroeconomist for the United States Department of Agriculture (who enjoyed economics so much that one of his hobbies was grading AP economics exams)
Our dad was a teacher: from TAing classes at University of Maryland to training other draft counselors there during the Vietnam war, to teaching math at a girls school, teaching kindergarten CCD, and teaching economics at community colleges, he loved teaching and cared about his students.
He was:
- A devoted husband to our mother, Judy
- a proud father and grandfather
- A fun and loving uncle, and great-uncle
- a chatty and sociable guy who could talk to anyone and made friends from all walks of life
- A staunch Democrat and a devout Catholic
He cherished the opportunity to serve as a Eucharistic minister and the visits he received from church members here were the best part of his week. His faith led him to work for peace and justice, and to give food and other material assistance to people who were living in poverty. We remember him delivering Thanksgiving baskets to families with the St Vincent de Paul society here at St Ambrose.
Most of my life, you could rely on my dad:
- for a ride to the doctor, to the airport, or wherever you needed to go
- An economic forecast for the agricultural sector
- A quirky political opinion
- Tax advice
- Buying a meal. He would say “I don't know how to cook, but I know how to use a credit card”
- to enjoy good food
- to give a great joyful deep belly laugh, especially when there was something funny on television
He was a character.
Less than a year ago, he told me that he was spiritually prepared for his own death. I expected that moment to be far in the future, so I didn’t ask him what he meant.
But I imagine and I hope that he trusted that the God who created, redeemed, and sanctified him, who had accompanied him from his very first breath, would be with him as he drew his last. That Mary would pray for him at the hour of his death. I believe that he trusted that his soul- helped by the prayers and sacrifices of the faithful- would pass from earthly life into the boundless and eternal love of God, leaving behind blessed memories in the minds and hearts of many.
