Gerald Bakken, longtime St. Louis Park gym teacher, dies at 82

Gerald "Gerry" Bakken was quick with a joke. More specifically, his were "pop jokes," the affectionate term for his punny quips that more often elicited an eye roll or groan instead of a laugh.

Bakken, a longtime gym teacher in St. Louis Park, was also a hobby photographer and often titled his works to reflect his humor. A rather artsy-looking photograph of a coiled telephone cord against a blue background, for example, was named "cordon bleu" because, well, it was a cord. On blue.

Bakken kept his sense of playfulness right up until his final days, even making cracks about inflation ("What's up?" Answer: "The cost of milk.") from his hospital bed. He died May 24 at Methodist Hospital from what his family believes was heart failure amid a series of health complications, including prostate cancer. He was 82.

"He was a very special man who could make you feel very special," said Sammy Miller, one of his grandchildren.

Miller works as an educational assistant and credits Bakken for inspiring a desire to work with children. Bakken loved teaching physical education at Aquila Elementary and was especially proud of helping his students find a love for being active.

On Facebook, comments from Bakken's former students confirm that he did just that: "Mr. Bakken was great!" read one comment. "Made gym a fun class."

Bakken was born in 1940 in Duluth and raised in Proctor, Minn. He attended the University of Minnesota Duluth where he received his bachelor's degree in physical education.

In 1964, he married his high school sweetheart, Judith. After more than a half century of marriage, he could still recall the first time he saw her, deciding in that moment that he needed to talk to the cute girl with the blond ponytail.

As newlyweds, the couple moved to Albert Lea, Minn., then to Michigan. They relocated to Minneapolis and then moved to Plymouth in 1973.

"They were very much a tag-team duo," Miller said. "She would groan at his jokes, but she'd also be laughing. They just loved being together."

Bakken enjoyed trips to northern Minnesota to camp, canoe and fish. He was also an avid baseball fan who faithfully rooted for the Twins.

Bakken had a special passion for photography and was a longtime member of the Minnetonka Camera Club. He was constantly experimenting with new photo techniques and also expressed his creativity through painting and sketching.

Because of his own diverse interests, Bakken was always encouraging when his grandchildren took up a new hobby, Miller remembered.

"He would notice those little things and find ways to encourage you," Miller said. "He was so good at doing that for the people he cared about."

Bakken was a doting grandfather who wasn't afraid to be emotional — he would often tear up when hearing about his grandchildren's accomplishments, his daughter, Greta Bakken-Miller, said.

"He was just a big softy," she said. "He was really present and always in their corner."

And his pop jokes" won't soon be forgotten, Sammy Miller said.

"He taught me to always find the humor in things," Miller said. "I took from him that I didn't always have to take things so seriously."

Bakken is survived by his wife, Judith Bakken; his brother David Bakken of Arkansas; his son Eric Bakken of Eagan; his daughter Greta Bakken-Miller of Plymouth; and three grandchildren. Services have been held.