VerDel Dean Markley

VerDel Dean Markley, 82, of St. Louis Park, Minnesota, passed away on Friday, September 4, 2026.

He was born on June 27, 1944, to Leslie Raymond Markley and Delores Louise (Wandrey) Markley in Storm Lake, Iowa, near the Markley family home in Schaller. After graduating from Dunwoody College of Technology in Minneapolis, VerDel built a long career in electronic engineering, putting what he learned there to work at some of the largest technology companies in the world. He had a gift for understanding how things worked, and the patience to make them work exactly right.

That patience followed him home. VerDel was an audiophile through and through — a man who believed music deserved to be heard properly, and who had both the ears and the engineering know-how to make sure it was. He was an avid builder and flyer of remote control airplanes, a passion he pursued for years before retirement and one that carried him happily through it. The long hours at the workbench, the careful assembly, and then the reward of watching something he had built with his own hands lift off the grass and climb — that was VerDel at his happiest. Anyone who saw him at the flying field, kneeling beside a freshly finished plane with a grin on his face, understood exactly who he was. He was also an avid bow hunter, and the deer woods rewarded the same quiet patience he brought to everything else.

And he was, without question, the biggest Buddy Holly fan you would ever have met — a love that never faded away.

VerDel was an unselfish man, and nowhere was that more visible than in his work with animals. Throughout his retirement he gave his time and energy to pets in need — fostering them, caring for them, and helping find each one a suitable home. He gave that same generosity to the people in his life, freely and without expectation.

Above all, VerDel was a devoted father, brother, grandfather, and great-grandfather, and a true friend. His mind was sharp right up until the end, and the curiosity, patience, and joy he brought to everything he did were gifts to everyone around him. His family will carry them forward.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Leslie and Delores.

He is survived by his sisters, Lou (Rick) Young and Leslie Tharnish; his son, Sean (Pam) Markley; his daughter, Kara Markley; his grandchildren, Nicholas (Midiana) Markley, Melissa Markley, Jaykeenen Spars, and Paige Lusti; and his great-grandchildren, Dyami and Kai Markley, Ivy and Liv Conyers, and Brooklyn and Nyomi Spars.

The family will hold private services.