Obituary of James Mansfield Malmquist

The family of James Mansfield Malmquist is saddened to announce that our beloved “Moose” passed away on August 17, 2016 at the age of 85. Long associated with Gustavus Adolphus College in St. Peter, Minnesota as a student athlete, coach, and athletic director, Moose spent his retirement in and around Scandia, where he was actively involved in the city planning commission, Elim Lutheran Church, and Gammelgården Swedish heritage museum. Moose was born in Brainerd, Minnesota on July 18, 1931 to Mansfred and Esther (Norstrom) Malmquist, and grew up in Buhl and Grand Rapids, where he first fell in love with the lakes, woods, and playing fields of Northern Minnesota. He earned his nickname by “running like a moose” through the muddy high-school football fields of the Iron Range. He retired to the Scandia area based on fond childhood memories of visits to his paternal grandparents, the Pastor A.J. and Signe Malmquist, and to the Hay Lake farm of his maternal grandmother Amanda (Dalin) Norstrom, where he enjoyed hunting squirrels and fishing for sunnies. He went on to hunt and fish wherever he lived, from the mesquite scrub of Texas to the prairie potholes of South Dakota and of course the grouse-filled aspen stands of his home state. He was the wise outdoorsman who valued the chase just as much if not more than the catch. Moose enrolled at Gustavus in 1949 and was a three-year starter on the football team. As a senior, he served as a captain, earned all-conference and all-state honors, and won the Langsjoen Medal as the senior athlete with the highest grade point average. A prized possession was a signed letter from George Halas inviting him to a try-out with the Chicago Bears. But in a pattern that guided his entire life, he put family first, pursuing a more secure life as a coach and teacher. After graduating in 1953, Moose taught biology in Starbuck, then Hibbing where Bobby Dylan was one of his many students. He served as athletic director and head football coach at Texas Lutheran University in Seguin and at Augustana College in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, and was the head football coach at Bemidji State University. Returning to Gustavus in 1974, he coached track, assisted with football, and served as athletic director and chair of the Department of Physical Education and Health. He also served as president of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics Directors Association and chaired the NCAA Division III Football Committee. Moose was inducted into the Gustavus Athletics Hall of Fame in 1984. During his 23 years as athletic director, Gustavus grew from 11 to 23 varsity programs, with 82 conference championships and 13 national titles. An early supporter of women's athletics, Moose was also instrumental in the construction of Lund Center. After his retirement in 1997, he was active in the Gustavus Alumni Association and served on the Alumni Board and the Sesquicentennial Athletic Advisory Committee. He also continued to closely follow the College’s teams and athletes, and was particularly happy to alert family and friends when the Gusties outdueled St. Olaf, St. John’s, and other MIAC foes. Moose’s many friends knew him as a true renaissance man, with boundless curiosity and remarkably broad interests, from religion to Native American history, psychology, and vegetable gardening. He had a lifelong love of words, crossword puzzles, and Scrabble playing, and is fondly remembered for his wonderful poetry—both his formal written poems and his everyday descriptions of his cherished North Woods. No trip to Moose’s cabin on Kjostad Lake was complete without a spoken litany of the places along Highway 53—Moose Lake, the Rice River, Cotton and Canyon townships, the Rouchleau Mine—each reverent utterance evoking a story about a friend, white-tail buck, big walleye, blizzard, or sporting event. Above all else, Moose was the rare storyteller who loved to spin a yarn as well as listen to a tale well told. Moose is survived by his four children, Lauri, Mike (Mary), Casey (Natalie), and David (Deborah); former wife and good friend Annie Storholm Aird; long-time companion Judy Burmeister and family; sister and long-time caregiver Roberta Fahlman and her children Lissa, Krister Tracy, and Stephen; cousin Max Malmquist; grandchildren Jessie Loeloff, Max, Maddie, Chloe, Jamie, Sam, and Ben Malmquist; grand-nephews and nieces Pelle, Fiona, and Mac Tracy; his close friend Elaine Wester; and his beloved dog Joey. He was preceded in death by his parents, dear brother Keith and sister Bette, and niece Kirsten Wagner. Moose also leaves behind countless friends, colleagues, and former players. He continued to make and cherish friends until the very end, and indeed sometimes seemed to recognize a sizable portion of Minnesota’s population. It was rare to walk down a street or through a crowd without Moose greeting or being greeted by someone he knew. A public service in celebration of Moose’s life will be held in Christ Chapel at Gustavus on Saturday, October 1st at 9:00 am, with libations and tributes following the 1 pm Homecoming game. A second memorial will be held at Elim Lutheran Church in Scandia on Monday, October 3rd. It will begin with an informal gathering at 10 am, followed by an 11 am service and a noontime luncheon. Interment in Elim Cemetery is private. Memorial donations may be made to the Moose Malmquist Gustavus Athletics Endowment Fund or Gammelgården Museum.