Celebrating Gordy: 'He had a really good heart'

Instead of a funeral, hundreds of coworkers and friends gathered with the family of Gordy Lundquist Sunday to remember the man they adored at the place that has become a Cloquet icon.

It was a celebration of life, complete with ice cream and conversation, a rifle salute and many memories shared in the parking lot of Gordy's Hi-Hat, now closed for the season.

Lundquist, who founded Gordy's Hi-Hat restaurant with his wife, Marilyn, passed away July 6 at the age of 93. He was at the couple's Florida home - where they'd stayed more often since the Covid-19 pandemic began - with Marilyn by his side. They were married for 71 years.

The two of them founded the famous restaurant, a favorite of residents and tourists, along Highway 33 in Cloquet in 1960. They still worked side by side at the Hi-Hat until just a couple of years ago. Gordy loved taking orders and shaking hands with customers, which became a special treat after Gordy and Marilyn's fame on the Food Network show "Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives." Their son, Dan, now runs the restaurant with his son, Sever.

Dan eulogized his father Sunday from the back porch of the restaurant, photographs of Gordy lining the table behind him. He talked about what a good father he was to him and his brother, Rick, a loving grandfather and great-grandfather and a proud independent businessman. He was also a proud American and a Navy man, Dan said, adding that he was honored to have the honor guard there. Gordy served in the Navy during the final year of World War II.

"The thing I'm most proud of is he had a really good heart, which is probably why you're here," the normally stoic businessman told the crowd, pausing occasionally when his emotions bubbled over. "He touched lives in small ways and he did it every day. He made a big impact while selling hamburgers on the side of the road."

Following three rifle volleys by the Cloquet Area Honor Guard in the back parking lot, Navy personnel Alexandra Signorello and Tim Carlson folded a flag, and Signorello presented it to Marilyn: "May God bless you and may God bless your family," she said, following with a long salute.

Later, Cloquet's Chris Medich approached Marilyn and said her husband was a "class act."

"He enjoyed every day he was here," Marilyn said.

Fond memories

Before and after the short ceremony, family members mingled with the community, this time without the task of serving food. It was hugs and smiles all around.

Gordy is survived by Marilyn, sons Rick (Patty), Dan (Kelly), grandchildren Riki (Nick), Hallie, Danny (Jenna), Anna (Eric), Sever (Kaitlyn), Sadie, and Rose and great-grandchildren Harper, August and Wilk.

Recently back from Florida, Marilyn chatted with old friends and co-workers, like Jodi Ward, who's been a cook at the Hi-Hat for 22 years.

Ward wasn't the only past or present coworker there Sunday. The memories flowed from all corners of the parking lot.

"He's going to be missed. He was a great guy: good to work for and a personal friend," said Bob Vajdl, who worked at Gordy's from 1966 to 1968, and again when he got out of the Army. "I'll miss him."

Those early days were when customers had to walk up to the front porch and order, then take their food and go, Vajdl said. When guys drove street rods there to hang out, and Vajdl would often take Gordy's latest car to Duluth to fetch supplies.

Debbie (Krueger) Buczynski worked at the Hi-Hat around the same time, starting when she was 14 or 15 until she graduated from high school.

"Gordy and Marilyn were always so very nice. They were hard workers. I learned a lot from them," she said. When she and her husband married, Gordy ordered the food for their reception. They moved away, but they always went to Gordy's when they came home.

"He always remembered us, always, always," she said.

Brett Port just finished his 11th season at the drive-in. He worked alongside Gordy almost every day of his career, pre-pandemic. "It is special to work here," Port said. "This place just has something."

"Love," said his fiance, Abby LaFlash.

Casey Essler worked in the dining room, then one year behind the counter with Gordy. His handwriting could be tough to read, he said, but he was a happy boss. "He never yelled," Essler said, recalling when a coworker dropped a giant ketchup container that splashed onto Gordy and himself. "Gordy just laughed."

Paul Cameron was one of the Gordy's parking lot "controllers" last summer, waving and gesturing with their flashlights, pointing the way to a parking spot, often making people smile in the midst of the pandemic.

"Gordy looked out for the community and his family, and he passed down something so great, and he brought a smile to so many faces," Cameron said. "When you tell people you're from Cloquet, it's Gordy's they think of. He definitely put his thumbprint on this place."

Sever Lundquist said he was happy he came back home six years ago after pursuing a career in the Twin Cities area. Coming back was always part of the plan, he said, but when his company was relocating to Boulder, he decided it was time to move back up north and get into the family business. He and his wife, Kaitlyn, have a toddler, Wilk, and they're expecting another baby in a month.

Sever said it's been really nice hearing all the stories and feeling the outpouring of support since his grandfather passed away. "People telling us about different interactions with Gordy over the last six decades ... we really appreciate the community sharing those memories," he said. "Gordy started a lot of relationships.

We hope we can continue to honor him by upholding those relationships."