Robert Charles Tengdin

Bob was born June 25th, 1930 in Kansas City Mo, the youngest child of Elmer Theodore and Agnes Minne Tengdin. He was born in the middle of a raging thunderstorm, to which he credited his red hair and competitive nature. His grandparents immigrated to the US from Norway and Sweden in the 1880s. Bob said that he was the product of a mixed marriage. He was an Eagle Scout and graduated from Westport H.S. (Kansas City, MO) in 1947. That year he began his studies at St. Olaf College. He took time off to serve in the US Air Force from 1949-1950, and was honorably discharged as a PFC. After returning to college, he received his BA in 1952. Bob was quite active in athletics, as (reserve) quarterback on the football team, a star tennis player, and captain of the ski team. Bob loved to sing "Um ya ya," and remained an active Ole through all his years. He was honored in 2003 as a Distinguished Alumnus. Upon graduating, he joined the Allison-Williams Company, a Minneapolis-based investment bank, where he worked for 70 years until he retired as Chairman Emeritus in 2022. He pioneered institutional municipal bond sales when the market was dominated by retail customers. As he grew with the firm, he became instrumental in putting together many significant financial projects: the Canterbury Downs racetrack financing, the capital reorganization of Sunflower Electric (western Kansas), advising the Pillsbury / Burger King acquisition in the 1970's, and many other municipal and corporate financial projects. Bob married Fern Anderson in 1955. They had three sons: David (1956), Douglas (1959), and Daniel John ("DJ", 1964). They moved into their home on Lochloy Drive (Edina) in 1963, where Bob resided for the rest of his life. They joined Normandale Lutheran Church in 1970 and were active members. The family enjoyed fishing in the boundary waters, tennis on their backyard tennis court, and competitive ski racing (although not necessarily in that order). For years, Bob was part of a Thursday-afternoon doubles foursome which called themselves the Lochloy Tennis Club. Fern passed away in 2009, and Bob married Dorothy Halvorson Hanson in 2010 on his 80th birthday. He was welcomed into her family and she into his. They traveled widely and brought great joy to one another. Bob was involved in many social, civic, and athletic organizations: Boy Scouts, Svenska Sallskapet, Torske Klubben, Minneapolis Club, Norway House, American Swedish Institute, Sons of Norway, Interlachen Country Club, Region 1 of the United States Ski Association, and many others. He fished, played competitive tennis, golf, and Masters Alpine Ski Racing. In Masters Ski Racing, he won national titles in the USA, Canada, Norway, and Sweden, and placed 2nd in the Masters World Championship in Andorra, Spain. As a member of the Interlachen Country Club in Edina, he won 11 singles and 8 doubles club championships in tennis. He was inducted into the Minnesota Senior Sports Hall of Fame in 2021 and continued to ski race and play tennis competitively well into his '90s. Bob is pre-deceased by his parents, his first wife Fern, siblings Phyllis (Werner) John Tengdin, and son DJ. He is survived by his wife Dorothy, his sons David (Sonja), Doug (Pam), eight grandchildren (Rolf, Peter, David, Phoebe, Priscilla, Andrew, Daniel, Dean) and three great-grandchildren (Klaus, Corey, Kaci). Also by four step children: Mark, Kari (Bernie), Gregg (Maureen), Susan; their eight grandchildren (Rachel, Stephen, Andy, Lief, Tessa, Greta, Erik, Taylor) and seven great grandchildren (Hudson, Hayden, June, Angelina, Pierce, Winnie, Bowie) Memorial Services are Thursday, November 20 at Normandale Lutheran Church, 6100 Normandale Blvd., Edina, MN. Visitation will begin at 10AM and a Service of Christian Burial and Resurrection at 11AM. The service will be live-streamed at https://normluth.org/funeral/ and will also be available on the church's YouTube channel (@normandalelutheranchurch). Private interment at Ft. Snelling National Cemetery. Memorials are preferred to the DJ Tengdin Memorial Endowment at St.Olaf College (https://wp.stolaf.edu/giving/).

Tributes

Robert Charles Tengdin

June 25, 1930 - November 9, 2025

Tributes

Robert Charles Tengdin

June 25, 1930 - November 9, 2025

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