Arvid Dean Kramer

Age 70 of Fallbrook, California.

Arvid Dean Kramer was born on October 3, 1956 in Worthington, Minnesota to Marvin and Marion (Basche) Kramer and grew up on a farm in Nobles County. He graduated from Fulda Public High School in 1975. With a height of 6’ 9” he played a major role in advancing Fulda to the State High School Basketball Tournament his senior year. He went on to play basketball for Augustana College in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, where he earned his B.A. in Education.

Arvid was recognized as a basketball conference standout, with numerous awards.  He is still well spoken of by fans of both his high school and college teams and more times than his family can count if someone mentions Fulda, MN the question they get is “do you know Arvid Kramer?”

After college, Arvid played professional basketball. Arvid had a brief stint in the NBA during the 1980 season. He was drafted by the Utah Jazz in the third round and later appeared in 8 games with the Denver Nuggets. He then decided to play in professional leagues in Europe starting in Italy, then France and lastly in Germany with Telecom Baskets (Bonn).  He made a career playing basketball until age 40, and then managing the team. He never lost his love of the land and farming and dreamed of being a dairy farmer but chose to continue in basketball.

He returned to the U.S. in 2004 and settled in Encinitas, in San Diego County, California, and began a new career where he started, managed, and was the primary coach of a large youth basketball program.

In 2021, he retired from coaching after moving to Fallbrook, California and began a new career as a popular substitute middle school teacher in the local public schools.

Throughout the years he maintained connections with his coaches and teammates from Augustana College and Fulda High School, as well as many friend and former players and colleagues in Germany.

In California, he loved being a grandfather to his four grandchildren and also found his life partner, JoAnne. They enjoyed traveling and camping throughout California, the Pacific Southwest, Hawaii, Mexico and Germany.  The farmer part of his life was found in gardening and nurturing 40 fruit trees at their home in Fallbrook.

Arvid, a loving Father, Grandfather, Brother and Friend, passed away peacefully surrounded by his family and life partner on October 22, 2026 at Regions Hospital in St Paul, Minnesota. He is preceded in death by his parents, sister, Karen and son, Dennis (Meredith). Arvid is survived by his children, Joshua (Kimberley), Lisa Marie and Samuel, daughter-in-law, Meredith, his partner, JoAnne Berg, and her children and grandchildren and his grandchildren, Charlie, Aubrey, Jackson and Chase, his brothers, Deloy (Cindy) and Lyle (Leanne), brother-in-law, Lance Gegner, and many nieces and nephews, aunts, cousins and friends.

A celebration of Arvid’s life with family will be set at a future date.