K. Dahlberg Obituary

K. Jeffrey Dahlberg departed this life December 21, 2015 at the age of 62. Born on July 7th, 1953 in Minneapolis, Minnesota, Jeff was a man in full. He lived a life larger than any 14er he climbed. And he didn't just climb mountains; he moved them with grace, courage, and unwavering dedication.

Jeff was a loving and devoted husband, a proud and patient father to five daughters, a cherished grandfather to seven grandchildren, a prolific entrepreneur, an inspirational mentor, a gifted artist, an enlightened yogi, a tenacious explorer, an avid skier, a relentless golfer, an American patriot, and an incredible confidante to so many who had the pleasure to call him a friend.

Jeff had a special knack for taking the first step forward in business and blazing new trails. He served as President and Chief Operating Officer of Dahlberg, Inc., growing the company into the world's largest retailer of hearing products (acquired by Bausch & Lomb). He then co-founded and became Chairman of Grow Biz International, Inc., expanding the franchise retailer to 1,300 stores and taking the company public in 1992 (now Winmark Corporation). Both Fortune and Inc. magazines named Grow Biz the fastest growing company in America in 1994.

In recognition of his vast accomplishments, Jeff was named Minnesota Entrepreneur of the Year in 1996. Jeff went on to serve as a Director and Chairman of the Board of Famous Daves of America, Inc., and later became a venture capitalist and trusted advisor to companies such as CorePower Yoga and Brave New Ventures.

A long-time supporter of our troops, Jeff served his country proud as the former President of The Home Front Cares.

Jeff is preceded in death by his father Kenneth Dahlberg.

Jeff is survived by his beloved wife Michele, daughters Emily, Mamie, Haley, Marie, and Marji, grandchildren Jack, Francesca, Scarlett, Noah, McKinley, Jeffrey, and Chloe, mother Elizabeth Jayne Dahlberg, sisters Nancy Dahlberg and Dede Disbrow, brothers-in-law and sisters-in-law Dawn and Ron Rehbein and Brock and Stephanie Munsell, and his loyal dog Cammie.

A private service is being held for family. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to The Pikes Peak Humane Society (hsppr.org) in memory of Jeff Dahlberg.