Roland Maurice Zengel, 79, of Duluth, Minnesota passed away April 15, 2026 surrounded by his loving family.

Roland was born on January 21, 1947, to Roland and Elizabeth Zengel. He graduated from Denfeld High School in 1965 and went on to proudly serve his country in the United States Army from 1966-1968. During his time in the service, he was awarded two purple hearts, a testament to his courage and sacrifice.

Following his military service, Roland built a dedicated career at Diamond Tool, where he worked for many years.

Roland married Peggy in 1973 and embraced her three-year-old daughter, Kimberly, as his own, becoming a devoted and loving father.

Roland was a man who would do anything for anyone. If something was broken, he would find a way to fix it. He created a welcoming home, even building an outdoor space for his granddaughters and neighborhood kids to play, laugh and feel safe. He was generous, kind, incredibly stubborn and deeply loving. He welcomed everyone with open arms and a warm heart.

He is preceded in death by his parents; sisters, Babette, and Sarah; and nephews, David, and Joey.

He is survived by his beloved wife, Mary “Peggy”; daughter, Kimberly (Rob); granddaughters, Ashley, and Amber; great-grandson, Zander; sisters, Barbara and Sandra; and a plethora of nieces and nephews.

Though he was surrounded by strong women throughout his life; he later found a special joy in his great-grandson Zander. The two shared an extraordinarily close bond, rooted in deep love and a connection that meant the world to them both.

An open-house style Celebration of Life will be held from 2:00 – 4:00 PM on Friday, May 8th at Sunrise Funeral Home, 4798 Miller Trunk Hwy, with Military Honors at 4:00 PM.

The family would like to extend their heartfelt gratitude to the Essentia Hospice team for their kindness, compassion, and support during this difficult time.

He will be deeply missed and forever loved.