Darlene Doris Lansing

Lansing (Vinje), Darlene Doris, 80, of Bloomington, MN, loving daughter, sister, wife, mother, and grandmother, passed away on September 20, 2026. Born on March 26, 1946, to Erling Orvin Vinje and Elsie Clara Vinje (Juhnke) in Mayville, ND. Survived by her sister, Gail Johnson (Vinje); her son, Michael Lansing (Nina Clark); her daughter, Jill Lucken (Kevin); her grandchildren, David Edsen and Chloe Edsen.

Darlene grew up in the most Norwegian American county in America. Rising from a one-room rural schoolhouse, she became the first in her family to finish college and earn a graduate degree. At NDSU, Darlene was a top student, president of Kappa Kappa Gamma, and a member of the homecoming court.

She married George Lansing on February 28, 1970. While working and parenting, she earned an MPH at the University of Minnesota in 1986. Darlene was a registered dietician and public health nutritionist in a variety of hospital and community settings in the 1970s and 1980s. From 1991 to 1997, she served as the executive director of the Society for Nutrition Education. Darlene loved folk arts, museums, sacred choral music, Bison football, and travel. An accomplished cook who nurtured family traditions, she reveled in food and friends. She sacrificed for her husband and children. She doted on her grandchildren. A devout Lutheran, Darlene faithfully shared the fruits of the spirit with whomever she encountered. Her warm, welcoming smile was our home.

Memorial Service with fellowship will be held Saturday, November 7, 2026, from 1PM-2:30PM at Heritage Lutheran Church, 13401 Johnny Cake Ridge Rd., Apple Valley, MN.

In lieu of flowers, please donate to Heritage Lutheran Church in her honor.