Benda, Jerome "Jerry" age 86, died peacefully at home from congestive heart failure on June 19, 2022. Jerry was born in Jackson, Minnesota and loved every sport he played at Jackson High School, going on to play football at the University of Minnesota. He graduated from Mankato State College in 1958, then relocated to the Twin Cities. Jerry remembers nearly every stop he made as a salesman for Wilson Sporting Goods, visiting with high school coaches and athletic directors across the Midwest. At Samsonite's Toy Division, he was very proud of introducing LEGO to the US, making lifelong friends at the annual NYC Toy Fair. In 1978, he gave up travelling to acquire The Little Wagon, where publishers, police, printers, writers, attorneys, grain traders, judges, sports fans and countless others found friendship, food and occasional folly. Jerry was preceded in death by his parents, Rud and Leone (Wise) Benda and his first wife Joyce (Doyscher) Benda. He is survived by his wife Joan (Davidson) Maclin, children Laurie (Bob) Berglund, Julie Wolk and Mike Benda; grandchildren Nicole Anderson, Danielle (Aaron) Dupre, Alicia Wolk and Nick Kotzian; sister Joan (Tom) Hughes; stepdaughter Molly (Carlton) Oliver, step-grandsons Cameron and Kellen Oliver. An Open House celebrating Jerry's life will be held on Saturday, August 6, 2022, 2-5 pm at David Fong's, 9329 Lyndale Avenue South, Bloomington. In lieu of flowers, memorials are preferred to Catholic Charities (cctwincities.org). Twin Cities Cremation 651-645-1233