Mervin Gangstead

Mervin L.Gangstead, 61, of Garland passed away on September 14, 2011 after a lengthy battle with GIST. He is survived by his mother, Ruth Gangstead; his sister, Vivian Nore; his devoted wife of 38 years, Carol; his beloved daughter, Stacey, son-in-law, Kyle Richardson, their two sons, Grant and Hayes; his beloved son, Steven, and daughter-in-law Alex. His father, Lloyd Gangstead, preceded him in death.Mr. Gangstead was born in Ft. Dodge, Iowa on September 4, 1950 and grew up on the family farm in Badger. He loved life, his family, his work, his friends and his country. He graduated from Humboldt High School in 1967 and received his B.S. from Arizona State in 1973. He served in the USAF from 1970-1978 and was stationed most of this time at Edwards AFB as an engineer for the Rocket Propulsion Laboratory. He was an engineer for Raytheon for over 31 years. He had a keen mind and enjoyed solving challenging technical problems and learning new things. His ever expanding variety of interests included computers, optics, photography, flying, water skiing, scuba diving, motor homes, car repair, and home remodeling projects. He was a wise and loving husband, father, and friend.