Scott A. Torgerson

Scott “Fish” Allen Torgerson

Age: 60

Born: 10/6/61  - Hoffman, MN

Deceased: 11/8/21  - Monticello, MN

Scott passed after a brave battle with COVID that included being hospitalized for 20 days. He was a strong & healthy man with no other medical issues prior to becoming ill with COVID.

Scott grew up and attended school in Hoffman, MN and then the combined district of Hoffman-Kensington where he graduated in 1979. Scott was an All-star athlete in Basketball, Football and Track. He was well accomplished in Track high hurdles and participated individually in Nationals during his Sr Year where he placed 7th.   It was one of his proudest moments.

Scott was a bit of a prankster in his childhood. He and his friend Brad once pushed a train car down the track and onto the crossing where it blocked traffic throughout the town. Meanwhile they watched snickering from a nearby rooftop. He was infamous for his late-night garden raids of local fruits and vegetables. Scott was an entrepreneur at an early age where he assisted local farmers in the field by trapping gophers and earning 25 cents per pair of front gopher feet.

Scott attended Vocational Technical school at St Cloud where he earned his Associate Degree in Culinary Arts. He worked for many years as a Chef, Kitchen Manager and General Manager for restaurants and then grocery stores. He later worked as a Sales Mgr for Schwann’s Foods and then other food service companies. Most recently, he worked as a Driver for Trailblazer Transit out of Buffalo, MN, where he enjoyed a supportive and fun work environment and colleagues.

Scott met the love of his life, Dee, in the Winter of 1987 while working as a Chef in Barrett, MN. She was finishing her last year of college at U of M – Morris. They met in Alexandria while out with friends and it was “love at first sight”. They were engaged 4 months after meeting and married on Aug 29, 1987 in Dee’s hometown of Princeton, MN. They have been inseparable ever since – for 35 years.

Scott & Dee moved to Richmond/Lexington, KY after getting married to pursue careers and further schooling. While there, they adopted their first fur child “Winnie”, a Dalmatian/Collie mix who lived for 14 years and helped to prepare them for parenthood. There were many more fur children to follow, including foster dogs and puppies. Scott & Dee enjoyed hiking in the mountains and going to comedy clubs while in KY. They returned to MN after a couple of years in order to be closer to family.

Scott & Dee had 2 children, Kayla & Jake. Scott enjoyed being a stay-at-home Dad for part of the time and also running “Daddy’s daycare” out of their home for a short time. He enjoyed cheering on and coaching his children through their many extracurricular activities and sports. He especially enjoyed coaching Kayla & her teams in Softball (Monticello & Big Lake) where Kayla was a pitcher for girls fast pitch.  His proudest moment was when she successfully pitched her first perfect change-up and struck out a batter. Scott also coached Jake and his teams in basketball (Monticello) and he reveled in watching his son master the sport. He was proud to watch Jake’s many perfect shots. His family was the light of his life. Scott now has 2 grandchildren and he helped to raise and support his granddaughter Zaya. They were very close and she calls him “Pappa Fish”. He helped her with many things and they had lots of fun adventures together. He even colored his hair purple with her one time at a festival upon her encouragement. Scott has a new baby grandson whom he adored and is named after him. His grandson Liam is already becoming a Vikings fan just like his Pappa!

Scott’s nickname is “Fish” as given to him by his nephews Jeremy, Nick & Brandon Pangerl. He frequently took them fishing and canoeing in places like the Boundary Waters (BWCA), Elk Lake in Hoffman, the Pom De Terre and Mississippi rivers, Mille Lacs fishing launches and ice fishing. His nephews were “his boys” and he remained very close to them, sharing many more adventures together.

Scott loved the outdoors. He took yearly trips to BWCA with his brother Jeff, nephews/nieces, and friend Pastor Jim Tetlie volunteering for church youth groups. He loved canoeing, camping and fishing in this quiet pristine wilderness. He also shared many fishing trips with his buddy Tim Peterson, who was like a son to him.  Scott & Dee also enjoyed camping in many local parks with their children.

Scott enjoyed traveling with his family and took them on many trips including Disney World and a Disney cruise; Universal Studios in Florida; Wisconsin Dells; South Dakota, Black Hills and Custer state park; Sedona, Arizona; Branson, MO; Mackinac Island and the North Shore; Devils Tower, WY where they camped at the base of the Tower while watching “Close Encounters of the 3rd Kind” outdoors with the Tower in the background; Whitefish and Glacier National Park in MT where he went whitewater rafting with his extended family – he enjoyed this so much!; and New Orleans, LA where he got to mess with alligators during an airboat tour in the Everglades.

Scott & Dee enjoyed traveling alone as well. For their 30th wedding anniversary, Scott chose to celebrate together at Universal Studios in Orlando, FL where they were able to behave like children and have great experiences together. They also enjoyed traveling the North Shore, Grand Portage, Tettagouche State Park, Madeline Island, Mackinac Island and together they completed the Lake Superior Circle Tour of the North Shore and Canada. They traveled simply in their early years, with a small 2-person tent and a portable charcoal grill in the trunk of their car. They enjoyed hiking and finding water falls along the North Shore.

Scott enjoyed softball, basketball and bowling leagues throughout his adult life. Besides fishing, he also enjoyed golfing, sports card trading/collecting, Fantasy football league, and the occasional casino visit. Scott was a die-hard Vikings football fan! He celebrated his 60th birthday this past October attending a Vikings game with his fantasy football league.

Scott was a private man who appreciated the simple things in life. He enjoyed spending time at home and caring for his family. He was patient, kind & caring – and he had a never-ending sense of humor.  He is known for his “Dad jokes” and he always had a pun during any conversation. He was the king of one-liners and comebacks. Scott enjoyed practical jokes, especially with his granddaughter. A recent memorable one was when he was “babysitting” one of her realistic dolls and changing the dolls diaper – he left a melted tootsie roll in the changed diaper and clothed the doll. When Zaya went to change her doll’s diaper a bit later, she had quite the “stinky” surprise!  They both laughed so hard. But Zaya is also quite the trickster and often reciprocated practical jokes with Pappa.

 Scott – Pappa Fish - will be dearly missed by many.

Some fitting quotes from his favorite movies:

“At sunrise, everything is luminous but not clear” – A River Runs Through It

“The best love is the kind that awakens the soul and makes us reach for more, that plants a fire in our hearts and brings peace to our minds” – The Notebook

“You will always be my greatest adventure” – Up

Scott was preceded in death by his parents: George and Donna (Larson) Torgerson.

He is survived by his wife Dee (Deanna/DeDe Pangerl) Torgerson and children Kayla Torgerson and Jake (Mandy) Torgerson; 3 siblings: Jeff (Lynn) Torgerson, Craig (Nanci) Torgerson, Denise Torgerson; Mother/Father in-law Jerry & Doris Pangerl; Brother & sister in-laws; And many nephews/nieces, cousins, aunts/uncles, and close friends. 

Out of concern for our family & friends health and safety during this time due to COVID, we have decided that it is best to not have an in-person funeral or celebration of life at this time. His family is putting together a memorial video that we will share on his Caring Bridge site www.caringbridge.org/visit/scotttorgerson   at a later date. We encourage family, friends, and coworkers to gather safely in small groups or via Zoom/Teams to watch the video together in celebration of his life. You should of course wear your Vikings attire and perhaps gather before or after a Vikings game to celebrate him.

The family also hopes to plan a Summer outdoor gathering for a Celebration of Life for family & friends at a later date.

Memorials can be made to your favorite charity in his honor or if you would like to assist his family, you can contribute to his Go Fund Me site: https://gofund.me/a56dc583  for Scott Torgerson.  

Funeral Home: Peterson Grimsmo Chapel, 250 E Broadway PO Box 815, Monticello, MN 55362,  ph: 763-295-2918  website: https://www.peterson-grimsmochapel.com

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