Roland Victor Pogatchnik
, Minnesota
October 7, 2026
Roland Victor Pogatchnik, known affectionately for a lifetime by family and friends as “Pudge”, passed away October 8th, 2026. Born December 2nd, 1935 in Little Falls, MN, Pudge was the son of Arthur and Lois (Barry) Pogatchnik. The family made many moves around central Minnesota, eventually settling in Henderson where Pudge met his wife of 68 years, Denise (Henrich). He attended Mankato State Teacher’s College and served in the National Guard before beginning his teaching career and married life in 1958. After receiving his teaching degree, Roland continued to commute on weekends to Mankato to complete his Master’s in Education.Pudge and Denise were blessed with three sons, Kevin (Paula), Jeff (Ann Marie), and Dan (Jennifer). They raised their children in West St. Paul, just down the street from where Pudge taught at Frances M. Grass Junior High School for most of his career. In addition to being the Audiovisual Coordinator,…