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Scott Blake Garske

January 6, 1955 — April 6, 2024

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Scott Blake Garske

Scott Blake Garske passed away on April 6, 2024 in Deer Park, Il at age 69 from complications from a brain tumor. He was born on January 6, 1955 to A. (Alfred) Blake and Edith Caroline (Skurdell) Garske in Grand Forks, North Dakota. He spent his growing up years in Waterloo, Iowa, Columbia, Missouri and Cedar Rapids, Iowa where he graduated from George Washington High School.
Scott loved his sports beginning with Little League Baseball and going on to be an Iowa High School All-State Baseball Pitcher. He also played varsity football and basketball in high school. He received a baseball scholarship at the University of Iowa, however, injured his arm his freshman year and didn’t continue his baseball career. He graduated from the University of Iowa with a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration (B.B.A.).
His career included sales for Procter & Gamble (P&G) and Enterprise Systems, a start-up hospital inventory software company in Chicago. His business career was cut short when he was diagnosed with a brain tumor in 1988. Over the decades, he was treated successfully at Northwestern Medical Center, beginning with Dr. Nick Vick and in the last few years with Dr. Roger Stupp.
Scott began teaching Tai Chai in 2004 and was a Taoist Internal Healing Arts Teacher, teaching several classes a week throughout the Northwest Chicago suburbs. He was especially proud to teach free classes for cancer survivors.
Scott was an avid cyclist doing several RAGBRAIs (Des Moines Register’s Annual Great Bike Ride Across Iowa). He also enjoyed cross country skiing.
A lifelong loyal Iowa Hawkeye fan, he loved this year’s magical season of the Iowa women’s basketball team and especially Caitlin Clark’s extraordinary play. He passed the morning after Iowa beat Connecticut in the Final Four to make it to the National Championship game and was so excited about the win.
He is survived by his daughter Abigail "Abby" T. Garske, Chicago, sisters Roxanne "Roxie" Jerde and her husband Mike, Sarasota, FL, Barbara "Barb" Gessner and her husband Mike, Southlake, TX, and brother Steven "Steve" Garske and his wife Carol, Ballwin, MO, nieces Caroline Garske, Chicago, Natalie Gessner, Dallas, and nephew Grant Garske, Columbia, MO, along with cousins and several friends. The family would like to especially thank Scott’s friends Joan Fiske, Lilly Berlett, Larry Sheetz, Leigh Baer, Steve O’Donnell and Doug Eden who were faithful friends, especially in these last few challenging years.
Memorial contributions can be made to the Malnati Brain Tumor Institute via the Northwestern Memorial Foundation. Checks should be made payable to Northwestern Memorial Foundation, include the Malnati Brain Tumor Institute and Memory of Scott Garske in the memo line. Gifts may also be made online:
Donate Online Note: in the “Additional Information” - I wish this gift to be made in memory of / in honor of Scott Garske.

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