Aaron Keith Wenger, 81, a dedicated educator and visionary in the field of engineering, passed away on Monday, April 8, 2024, at his home in Grand Rapids, MN. Born in 1942 in Tiro, OH to Reverend Mahlon Wenger and Lethia Wenger. Aaron was raised by his uncle Glen Cole and aunt Esther Cole after his mother's young death.

Aaron's passion for learning and teaching was evident from an early age. After graduating from Tiro High School, he pursued higher education at Toledo University, where he earned a master's degree in Astrophysics. In 1967, Aaron embarked on his teaching journey at Rainy Lake Community College in International Falls, MN, where he served as a physics instructor. His commitment to education and innovation led him to co-develop the engineering program at Itasca Community College (ICC) in 1983. Aaron's tireless efforts and leadership were instrumental in shaping the future of engineering education at ICC.

Even after retiring from his teaching career in 2000, Aaron's dedication to the college remained unwavering. He continued to support ICC by writing grants, furthering opportunities for students and faculty alike. Aaron brought in millions of dollars in grants from the National Science Foundation (NSF) and the Blandin Foundation. With his latest grant, he and his colleague Ron Ulseth, revolutionized Engineering education by revamping his Engineering program. In recognition of his profound impact on the institution, the engineering building was named Wenger Hall in his honor in 2004.

Beyond academia, Aaron cherished his time spent outdoors, indulging in activities such as horseback riding, hunting, fishing, guiding friends, and family to the north country wilderness and making maple syrup. He also had a passion for poetry, photography, writing, enriching the lives of those around him with his creativity.  He was the Staff Physicist of KAXE public radio station where he explained current phenomena like the Mars Insight probe in common terms.

http://www.kaxe.org/news/2018-11-29/staff-physicist-aaron-wenger-and-the-insight-probe-to- mars

Aaron is preceded in death by his parents.

One of Aaron's favorite places was the cabin at Northwest Bay on Rainy Lake. He and longtime friend Gary Trueblood built the cabin on land that the Wenger's and Trueblood's had owned for decades. Many happy times were spent there with friends and family.

He is survived by his wife, Carol; his son, Jacob (Chantelle) Wenger of Grand Rapids, MN; two brothers, David Wenger of Lake Oswego, Oregon and Samuel Wenger of Ewing, KY; sister-in-law, Christine Wenger; former sister-in-law, Nancy Wenger of Columbus, OH; and two grandsons, Connor Wenger and Daniel Fielding.

A gathering of family and friends will be held to honor Aaron's life on Friday, May 17th from 2:00 PM until 4:00 PM at Wenger Hall on the Itasca Campus of Minnesota North College, Grand Rapids, MN

In lieu of gifts or flowers, the family asks for donations to be made to KAXE, 260 NE 2nd St., Grand Rapids, MN  55744.