DANA S. BAKKE

Dana Bakke left his earthly home for heavens gate, next to Kathy, his wife of 39 years,at midnight on July 4 with fireworks lighting up the sky. Cancer took his body, but his soul is free.

Dana was born in 1959 to Marilyn and Larry Bakke.  The youngest brother to Perry and Randy, he was a mischievous child who liked to trick, tease and push boundaries.  His cousin, Greg was a favorite partner in crime.  He graduated from Red River High School in 1977 and after four years in the Navy he got "a little" more serious and earned degrees at Wahpeton State and UND, married Kathleen Moen on 1987 and became the adoring daddy to Danika and Alissa.  Choosing to leave the corporate world to raise their children in Grand Forks, he and Kathy bought two small businesses which excelled because Dana loved talking to the customers and they loved him.  He especially liked helping people at Natures Country health food store.

An avid outdoorsman, fishing and hunting trips with "the boys" were always followed by stories that started with "I'm gonna make this long story short".  He was fanatical about sports, both watching and playing until Psoriatic Arthritis took his ability to play without pain. He played golf until this year and relished playing in the local charity tournaments.  In recent years, it was his grandchildren that brought him the most joy.  He could never say no to bike rides, sleepovers or ice cream.

He really enjoyed his extended family, his surviving brothers, Perry (Erin) and Randy (Linda), brother-in-law, Tom (Michelle) and especially his nieces and nephews. He treasured his friends, especially Mike and Hartvig, surviving wife, Kathy, his daughters, Danika (with Cassidy) and Alissa with children, Sophia and Remington.

Memorial Service : Tuesday, July 14, 2026 at 2:00 pm at the Norman Funeral Home in Grand Forks, ND.

Visitation : one hour before service time in the funeral home.

Military Honors: Accorded by members of the American Legion Post 157,

the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 3817

and the US Navy Guard Honor Guard.