Gretchen Pearl Brown Maglich was born in June 1951 and passed on from this life July 21, 2021. The dates of Gretchen's birth and death are simply bookends that hold 70 years of a life well lived. Gretchen and her seven siblings grew up in Bloomington, MN in a happy home on a cul-de-sac that hosted many neighborhood softball games. Those neighborhood games turned into league and club games in her teens and twenties, where Gretchen met some of her very best friends. Eventually the game playing stopped in favor of girls nights and weekends at the cabin. Many of those same friends were there to hold her hand at the end. Gretchen achieved her bachelor's degree in Business Administration and her master's degree in Industrial Relations from the University of Minnesota. While working her way through college, Gretchen met Terry, the love of her life. They were married in 1981 and celebrated 40 years of marriage this past March. In 1983, Gretchen and Terry moved to California where Gretchen began her career in public administration as the assistant to the city manager of Westlake Village. Gretchen's friendly nature combined with her love of year-round golf filled the years in California with new friends and created lifelong memories. Upon returning to Minnesota, Gretchen worked as the assistant city manager in Maplewood, where she led efforts to build a community center, and was a passionate advocate for the need to preserve green space as protected land long before other municipalities were doing the same. In 1997, Gretchen, a Democrat, was appointed to serve as the first woman Commissioner of the Minnesota Department of Labor & Industry by newly elected Republican Governor Arnie Carlson. Gretchen served four years under the Carlson administration. She was then re-appointed as Commissioner by newly elected Governor Jessie Ventura. Gretchen was respected as a quiet powerhouse, skilled at building sound working relationships between labor, government and business. In 2001, Gretchen returned to work in the private sector until her retirement. Gretchen will be remembered as an amazing wife, daughter, sister, aunt, friend and loving mother to her feline fur babies. A community leader with a quick wit, joyful laugh and unforgettable smile. Gretchen will be deeply missed by her dedicated husband Terry, her mother Genevieve, siblings Eric Brown, Tim (Carol) Brown, Bridget Wennerstrom, Annette (Brad) Weiss, Ted (Gea) Brown and Dan Brown, the Maglich family, nieces, nephews, and friends too numerous to list. Gretchen is reunited with her father Clarence, brother Karl, and sister in-law Lyla. A Celebration of Life will be held on Wednesday, August 11, 2021 2 p.m. at the Wayzata Country Club, 200 Wayzata Blvd., Wayzata MN 55391 Memorials preferred to the Animal Humane Society or the American Diabetes Association.