Gary Leon Bjornsen

Gary L. Bjornsen was born on his grandmother's kitchen table in Redbird, Nebraska, to Carroll and Ardis (Mellor) Bjornsen on October 18, 1941. The first 16 years of his life, he lived in 16 different towns, eventually settling in Sioux City, Iowa, where he attended Central High School, met his future wife, Judy Mason, and graduated with honors in June 1959.

Gary joined the U.S. Navy just before his 18th birthday, serving on a radar picket ship. He was also stationed on Christmas Island and attended electronics school at Treasure Island, California, for a year. While on leave, Gary and Judy were married at First Presbyterian Church in Sioux City on October 21, 1961. He was honorably discharged a year later.

Gary worked at Collins Radio in Cedar Rapids for a year before enrolling in the Engineering program at Iowa State University, was a member of Eta Kappa Nu fraternity and graduated with honors in 3½ years. While in Ames, he also worked as a Story County Deputy Sheriff.

Gary and Judy moved to Marion in 1967, where Gary worked as an electrical engineer at Collins Radio (Rockwell International). During his career, he was named an Engineer of the Year, had several patents, worked on the DME and TACAN programs, and was Chief Engineer of the first Global Positioning System. He retired from Rockwell International as Director of Advanced Engineering and Core Process Design on January 31, 1997.

The day after Gary and Judy retired, they began a tour of the U.S. in their camper, eventually building their home in Lake Havasu City, Arizona, where they wintered for 22 years.

Gary and Judy also had a cabin in Harpers Ferry, Iowa, where they enjoyed fishing and boating. Gary also enjoyed bowling and golfing, but most of all, Gary loved his grandkids!

He could fix anything, and in his later years, he was the neighborhood guru of computers.

Gary is survived by his wife of 64 years, Judy (Mason) Bjornsen of Hiawatha; daughter, Terri Bjornsen (Al Gruwell) of Cedar Rapids; son, Scott Bjornsen (Jennifer) of Robins; son, Steve Bjornsen (Whitney Joachim) of Cedar Rapids; and grandchildren, Nic, Ben, Connor, and Marika Bjornsen, and Betsy DeBower.

A celebration of life will be held at Indian Creek Country Club in Marion on June 14, 2026, from 1:00 to 4 pm

Please consider a donation to the Heart Center at St. Luke's Hospital in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, or the American Diabetes Association.