Robert Wendell Nemitz

Nemitz , Robert Wendell Sweet Husband, Dad, Grand- father, Brother, Uncle, Nephew, Cousin & Friend Bob, 80, was a Minnesota native born Jan. 27, 1933 and died June 30, 2013 of ALS in his home in Edina, Minn. He leaves behind a covey of interesting and loyal friends, a loving family, spectacular stories, and a career as an educator and entrepreneur focused on building persons and institutions. He was a keen collector of books and artifacts and passes on a legacy of preserving the natural world through The Nature Conservancy. A humanitarian, Bob's contribution lives on supporting Mayo Clinic research for cancer and regenerative diseases, such as ALS. He is survived by his treasured wife Christine Warren; three beloved daughters and two sons-in-law, Kristi and Larry Waite of Afton, Minn; Wendy Nemitz of St. Paul, and Susan Nemitz and John Curry of St. Paul; brother, Bill (Jane) Nemitz of Nisswa, Minn.; sister, Marnie (Munier) Kadrie of Scottsdale, Ariz.; two children by marriage, Chase (Jessica) Carlstrom of Minnetonka, Minn., and Lauren Carlstrom of Chicago, Ill.; three grandchildren, Constantine and Ellesavette Kokkinos and Maura Curry, all of St. Paul, and nieces and nephews. Bob was born at his family's Minneapolis home to Walter and Mamie Louise Nemitz. He spent his boyhood summers with his brother Bill and his sister Marnie shooting BB guns and visiting uncles and aunts at family farms in Canby, Minn. Bob held a degree in accounting from the University of Minnesota. He and his brother Bill both worked with their father, Walter, at the Rasmussen School of Practical Business in St. Paul. After buying the business from their father, they expanded it to six locations as Rasmussen College. When Bill retired, Bob's daughter Kristi became president and Bob was Chairman of the Board. The colleges were sold in 2004, and campuses are now located in several states. Bob's life is an adventure story. He likens Ernest Hemingway: "Never to go on trips with anyone you do not love." He treasured moments in nature with family and friends. He hunted, fished, canoed, rafted, hiked, drove and rode mules exploring unmarked terrain. He spent many hours in the wilderness of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area in Minnesota. Bob hunted big horn sheep in Alaska, shot birds in South America and Europe, and thrived in the high desert on the Colorado River near Moab, Utah. His greatest passion was game hunting and traveling throughout Africa. Bob was passionate about the Colorado Plateau and southeastern Utah. In Moab, UT, he and his wife, Christine, support a number of organizations, and started a private elementary school that evolved into the Moab Charter School. Putting belief to action, Bob and Christine preserved their acreage on the Colorado River in Utah by donating the easement to The Nature Conservancy, and were trustees and donors to Canyonlands Field Institute. Bob joined the U.S. Air Force during the Korean War, and served after the war stationed in Japan. An avid antique arms collector, he co-founded the Heritage Arms Society of Minnesota. The family will receive friends for a memorial celebration from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. Sunday, July 14th at the Westin Galleria Hotel in Edina, Minn. During this celebration, a small service will be held at 5:30 p.m. Memorials are preferred to the Mayo Clinic, Regenerative Medicine/ALS Department, 200 First St. SW, Rochester, Minn. 55605, care of James Driscoll. www.Washburn-McReavy.com Edina Chapel 952-920-3996

Tributes

Robert Wendell Nemitz

June 30, 2013

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