Gerald A. Frydenlund
Gerald A. Frydenlund died peacefully of natural causes on Saturday, Nov. 4, at the Heritage Monona Senior Living Center in Monona. He died as he lived, with courage and conviction; and the respect of his caregivers and hospice providers at Heritage.
Gerald was born in Prairie du Chien on July 27, 1937 to Arthur and Elaine (Eyler) Frydenlund. He earned a degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Wisconsin–Madison in 1959, and went to work for Flad Architects of Madison, where he worked on the mechanical design for the new Prairie du Chien High School. Gerald then moved to Houston to work for CRS, a multi-national engineering firm, where he met his beloved wife, Judy (Porter). He also lived in Greenwich, Connecticut while employed by CRS in Manhattan and traveled the world as an engineering consultant.
Gerald loved to race cars. He owned two vintage Porsche 911s that he raced at road tracks around the country, including Watkins Glen in New York, Road America in Elkhart Lake, and Riverside International Raceway in Moreno Valley, Calif. In contrast to oval tracks, road tracks wind through the countryside, testing a driver’s ability to maneuver through challenging turns and terrain. Gerald took great pride in beating some of the best oval-track drivers in the country, including Johnny Rutherford on a road track near Montreal, Canada.
Gerald enjoyed outdoor sports, including duck hunting and bow hunting. He also loved the river and served for a summer as a deckhand on the original Prairie Gal excursion boat in Prairie du Chien. But he especially loved his wife, Judy. After meeting in Houston, she would follow Gerald back to Wisconsin, despite the cold winters, and begin a marriage that endured the rest of her life.
Gerald is survived by his two sisters, Karen (Gerald) Bouzek, of Stoughton, and Jane de Roussan, of Montreal, Canada; one brother, Eric (Betty) Frydenlund, of Prairie du Chien; and his brother and sister-in-law, William and Patty Porter of Houston, Texas.
He was preceded in death by his wife; his parents; and a brother, John Frydenlund.
A memorial service will be next Friday, Nov. 17, at 1 p.m., at the Garrity Funeral Home Chapel, Rev. Barb Cook officiating, with interment in the Evergreen Cemetery, both in Prairie du Chien. Friends may call at the funeral home from noon until the time of services. Memorials can be sent to the UW–Carbone Cancer Center in Madison, a charity close to his heart after Judy died of cancer.
