Gary Craig Fors

Gary Craig Fors April 12, 1947-November 27, 2025 Gary Craig Fors, age 78, of Prior Lake, MN, passed away on November 27, 2025. Gary was born on April 12, 1947, to Beatrice (Nordenstrom) Fors and Gunner Fors, in Minneapolis, MN. Gary lived in Minneapolis until the age of five, when his family moved to Bloomington, MN. Gary's youth was filled with sports. He excelled at and loved nearly all sports. As a young teenager, he won many medals in speed skating. He was a star in youth league VFW baseball, where his team won a succession of state championships. In high school, he excelled at team sports, especially baseball, as a shortstop, and basketball. After high school, he earned the chance to try out for the Detroit Tigers MLB team. One of Gary's first jobs was working at Metropolitan Stadium - the home of the Minneapolis Millers and later, the Minnesota Twins - as an usher, where he would get his brothers into the games. They made many memories there together. Gary graduated from Bloomington High School. As a young adult, Gary was drafted into the Vietnam War. He became an Army medic with the 101st Airborne Division. He served with honor and was a Purple Heart recipient. Gary's early career included jobs at companies such as Control Data and Toro. One of his happiest times was when he worked for a sporting goods supplier, traveling throughout Minnesota and the Dakotas selling fishing gear to sporting goods stores and bait shops. Gary loved fishing as much as any other sport, and could frequently be found on a lake, in a boat with friends or brothers, catching fish. On January 14, 1970, Gary became a father to Kelly Jo Fors (Eckman). In 1996, Gary met Bev (Durheim) Kmitch at Asset Marketing, where Gary worked selling sports memorabilia and rare coins. On July 26, 1997, they were married on a boat on Lake Mille Lacs, Gary's happy place. The bride wore a lace t-shirt and lace sneakers; the groom wore a tuxedo t-shirt. They were married until Bev's passing in 2024. Some fun facts about Gary: • He was a huge fan of Elvis Presley. There was no bigger fan, other than Bev, his wife. No doubt, they bonded over their mutual love of Elvis. • He loved dogs. • His step-daughters used to try to convince him to let them post his photo on a website called Men Who Look Like Kenny Rogers. Much to their disappointment, he would never let them do it. Gary is survived by daughter Kelly (Aaron) Eckman; brothers Greg (Carolyn) Fors and Brad (Marilyn) Fors; grandson Kyle Stanley; nieces and nephews Odin, Phoenix, April, and Madeline; step-daughters Jennifer Tzar, Sheri Kmitch, and Heather (Bob) Longmore; and several step-grandchildren including Penelope and Elliot Longmore. Gary is preceded in death by his wife, Beverly Fors; father Gunner Fors; mother Beatrice Fors; his Auntie Rose; and his Uncles Virgil, Floyd and Vernon. All three uncles were World War II veterans. A service will be held for Gary on Tuesday, December 9, 9:30 a.m., at Fort Snelling National Cemetery, Lane #3. A gathering will follow at the VFW in Bloomington, MN.

Tributes

Gary Craig Fors

April 12, 1947 - November 27, 2025

Tributes

Gary Craig Fors

April 12, 1947 - November 27, 2025

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