Honoring the Life of Jack Gundersen Jr.

Hi, my name is Jonathan, and I’m raising funds to help cover my dad’s funeral expenses.

My father, Jack Gundersen Jr., passed away on April 3, 2025, at the age of 59. His final months were marked by a painful and unjust struggle that I can’t remain silent about.

My dad spent many years in federal prison. While I’m not here to excuse his past, I will say this: no one deserves to suffer the way he did, regardless of their mistakes.

Due to severe medical neglect within the Bureau of Prisons (BOP), my dad’s health rapidly deteriorated. For months, he suffered from undiagnosed gallbladder issues. By the time they took his condition seriously, he was jaundiced, swollen, and in unbearable pain. When they finally transferred him to an outside hospital, his gallbladder was removed — but during the surgery, his intestine was accidentally nicked, leading to a massive internal infection.

From there, it only got worse. He underwent multiple surgeries, each one a desperate attempt to save his life. As his scheduled release date approached, the system decided to pass the burden. He was driven by ambulance from Oklahoma City to Omaha, NE, and dropped off at the Nebraska Medical Center ER — already in critical condition.

He spent the last five months of his life in a hospital bed, first under the custody of the prison system and then as a free man in name only, still chained to machines and struggling to survive.

Despite the efforts of the Omaha medical team, the damage had been done. His body was rejecting antibiotics, his organs were failing, and the infection had taken hold. In his final days, he developed sepsis, and the man I knew as my dad became almost unrecognizable.

My family rushed from Des Moines to Omaha to be with him in his final moments. He passed away not from natural causes, but from systemic neglect and a failure to provide basic, humane care.

My dad wasn’t perfect, but he had changed. He was a survivor, a fighter, and above all, he loved his family. He was the only living grandparent my kids had on my side, and his loss has left a hole in our hearts.

We are raising these funds to help cover his funeral expenses and give him the dignity in death that he was denied in life.

Thank you for reading his story, and for any support you can offer.

Rest in peace, Dad. You’re finally free from pain.

We’ll love you forever.

Jack Gundersen Jr.

08-07-1965 — 04-03-2025