Leo Dean Engberg, age 84, passed away on Wednesday, August 24, 2022, at the Brookings Hospital.  Funeral services will be held on Thursday, September 1, 2022, at 11:00 A.M. at the Grace Free Lutheran Church in Bruce, SD.  Burial will immediately follow the service at St. Petri Cemetery in rural Bruce, SD.  Visitation will be held the evening prior, Wednesday, August 31, 2022, at Eidsness Funeral Home in Brookings, SD from 5:00 until 7:00 P.M.  Eidsness Funeral Home is assisting the Engberg family with arrangements.

Leo Dean Engberg was born on November 17, 1937, in Estelline, SD, the son of Axel and Rose Wilhelmina (Dahms) Engberg.  Leo attended rural school in District #86, and was a graduate of Estelline High School in 1956.  Leo served in the South Dakota Army National Guard from 1960 until 1966 while farming with his father until Axel's passing in 1971.   He was united in marriage to Caroline Stewart on June 26, 1966, at Grace Lutheran Church in Bruce, SD.  Together the couple continued to operate the family farm until 1986, when Leo started working at South Dakota State University. He worked in the athletic department as a groundskeeper and as a custodian in the HPER Center. One of Leo's biggest projects while working at SDSU was tearing up the practice field which used to be located on the east side of Coughlin-Alumni Stadium, where the parking lot and campus police department office is now located next to the current Dana J. Dykhouse Stadium, and building an entirely new football field.  He retired from SDSU in 2000, but continued to work at SDSU until 2008 on a part-time basis.  Caroline died on September 11, 2010.  Leo continued to live on the farm until entering the Estelline Care Center in 2021.

Leo was a member of Grace Free Lutheran Church in Bruce.  He enjoyed working on and collecting antique tractors, gardening, and especially spending time with his family.

Leo is survived by his son, Jeff Engberg, his grandchildren: Jessica Soto and Trey Engberg; and great grandson Roman Soto all of Grand Island, NE.

He is preceded in death by his wife, Caroline; and his parents, Axel and Rose Engberg.