Richard "Gunny" Kanzenbach

Richard "Gunny" Kanzenbach, age 60, of Eden Prairie, formerly of Alden, MN, passed away unexpectedly on November 4, 2020 following an accident. Richard was a proud and devoted Marine to the core of his being.  He served with pride and lived by the code of conduct and the values he learned in his service. He took insult to the idea he stopped being a Marine at discharge. "Once a Marine, always a Marine." He would occasionally riff those of other military branches, claiming that his branch of service was by far the best. He carried a serviceman's sense of humor, and loved nothing more than getting a rise out of the unsuspecting.  He certainly thought he was hilarious, though not everyone thought so.
His wife, Sheryl, said he could best be described by Shel Silverstein's The Giving Tree. He gave of himself, until there was nothing left to give, and then gave that, as well.
Richard was accident prone, sustaining many an injury or near-miss throughout his life, including the accident that took his life. His face often looked grumpy, but it was just how he dealt with his pain. Regardless of how he felt, he'd often say, "Any day above ground is a good day."
He was an avid Vikings fan, win or lose. He missed seeing them win this year. It was the first major turn-around in an otherwise demoralizing season.
In spite of never moving on from a flip phone, he played a lot of video games. Even though he was never particularly good at any of them, he loved playing nonetheless. He dabbled in Virtual Reality as well, and was able to golf without leaving the comfort of his own home. He loved Monty Python, John Wayne classics, Bugs Bunny, Peanuts, and any Mel Brooks movies. He will be deeply missed by those who knew him. Richard is preceded in death by his parents, Richard and Kathleen, and brother-in-law Mac McKenzie.  He is survived by his wife, Sheryl; daughters, Amber and Cassie (Chris) Willett; siblings, Jerry (Judy) and Dawn McKenzie; and many nieces, nephews, other family & friends, and his VA family. A private celebration of life will be held Monday, November 16th, at 11:00 AM with a livestream and recording provided by Simple Traditions by Bradshaw. Interment to follow at Fort Snelling National Cemetery at 1:00 PM.