Retired Special Agent Gundar Grundberg, WR, passed at November 13, 2023. The following is his published obituary.

Gundar John Grundberg was born in Jelgava, Latvia, on December 28, 1942, and passed away on November 13, 2023. He was the youngest of three boys born to Gerhard and Irma Grundberg. The family fled Latvia in 1946 to escape the Russian invasion, and made their way to a refugee camp in Augsburg, Germany. After spending 4 years in the camp, the family immigrated to the USA with the help of a family friend who was already in the US in Iowa. The trip across the Atlantic to New York on the ship Harry S. Truman was a lifelong memory.

The family lived in various places in Iowa until Gundar’s father, “Doc” was able to pass the medical boards in English, then they moved to Dows, Iowa, where Gundar graduated from high school.

Gundar joined the U.S. Army in 1964 and ended up back in Germany on a base in Munich near Augsburg. There he became a MP (military police), made some lifelong friends and was able to use his German language skills. He was very proud of his service and looked back on the time as a formative period of his life. After the military, and graduating from University of Puget Sound, he was hired as an investigator in the Office of the Inspector General for the USDA. He enjoyed a life-long career in government service.

In 1970, he married Linda and made his home in Bellevue, WA. He became the father to three sons, Eric, Brent, and Christopher. He was immensely proud of them. Some of his fondest memories were of coaching Pony League baseball and cheering for his kids as they played sports growing up. He made it a point to always be in attendance at every one of their games.

Gundar loved the Pacific Northwest and wondered why anyone would live anywhere else. He had many interests, including a massive model railroad set, flying model airplanes, sport fishing for salmon, playing golf, downhill skiing, watching Seattle sports teams and attending the annual Latvian Bazaar in Seattle each year. Gundar always enjoyed traveling and in retirement traveled all around the world on cruise boats. He and Linda cruised across the Pacific to Australia, up to Alaska and throughout Europe. He was a life-long lover of animals, always enjoyed meeting dogs and introducing his dog. His love of Corgis was well known. Every Christmas, Father’s Day or birthday, there was a gift that involved Corgis. He loved cars and driving and was part of the “Auto Angels” at Bellevue Presbyterian, a ministry that helped repair cars for folks in need. He was the parts procurement or “junkyard” guy who scoured western Washington for just the right part at a deeply negotiated price. Persistence was a key trait - whether he was tracking down hard to find used auto parts or reaching someone on the phone - he was not shy and time was of the essence.

Gundar’s real love was food. Nothing could get him more excited than well prepared prime rib, shrimp fajitas, french onion soup, sauerkraut soup, eggs benedict, Rainier cherries or the holy grail - pan fried oysters. Vegetables were an anathema and to be avoided at all costs. He loved all of the dockside seafood restaurants in Seattle and was a frequent customer at a variety of burrito shops, diners, gyro shops, pizza parlors and teriyaki joints. He enjoyed inviting people to his favorite spots to enjoy a meal together. You could count on Gundar for a chat about where the next meal should be.

Above all his favorite places were his chair at his home overlooking Lake Sammamish and Pt. Brown at Ocean Shores, where he could sit and watch the waves crash on the beach for hours, keeping an eye out for wildlife and taking photos.

Gundar is preceded in death by his brothers, Norbert Grundberg, and Arnie Grundberg, and Arnie’s wife Betty, as well as his parents, Gerhard and Irma Grundberg. He is survived by his wife, Linda, and three sons, Eric (Malena Marvin), Brent (Jackie) and Christopher (Becca Otten), and two grandchildren, Jonathan and Katherine. Other relatives include the Iowa Grundbergs and the family he married into, the Roberge and Howisey clans.

A memorial service will be held at Bellevue Presbyterian Church, at 1pm on Friday, January 26. The church is located at 1717 Bellevue Way NE, Bellevue, WA 98004. In lieu of flowers, any donations in Gundar’s memory can be directed to the Auto Angels program at the church.