Robert Frederick Meyer

Robert Frederick Kurt Meyer, age 79, passed away of congestive heart failure at Blaine Senior Living (formerly Crest View Senior Community) on Sunday, August 23, 2026. He was born in Bay City, Michigan, to Robert Weckwerth Meyer and Marjorie (Larson) Meyer. He is survived by his wife Deborah, sisters Gudrun Ulbrich and Gretchen Clearwater, brother Ntan Meyer, as well as other family members. When Bob was eight, his family moved to Nigeria, where his parents served as lay missionaries. They stayed overseas, with a six-month hiatus to the US, until Bob was 18. He got his early education through correspondence courses and then later in a British-style boarding school. The family returned just ahead of a civil war so Bob was never able to go to a high school reunion-he said the school was later bombed... Upon his return, Bob earned his B.S. degree (1969) in General Biology from Purdue University in Indiana. He received his M.S. degree (1971) and his Ph.D. degree (1972) in Plant Physiology and Botany from the University of Illinois-Champaign-Urbana. During his early years, he engaged in competitive bike racing, rock and mountain climbing, and exploring caves. From there, he moved to Minnesota and took on the position of forensic toxicologist (a fairly new role at the time) for the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, State of Minnesota, where he stayed for 27 years (1975-2001), during which time he authored or co-authored numerous published papers and built up a solid repertoire of tales and anecdotes. Bob and his wife Deborah met through a square dance club on the St. Paul campus-the Wrong Way Grands-and married in 1991. Many years later, after taking refresher lessons, they joined the Hotfoot Stompers in Coon Rapids and served on a range of committees. Bob was also on the board of Square Dance Minnesota and the couple appeared several times on a local square dance cable show-"Friendship Set to Music." They also attended a national convention in Iowa as well as several state conventions. During Bob's very active life, particularly after retiring from the BCA, he engaged in a broad range of activities, which provided him with a vast array of additional stories to share enthusiastically with others. A painter and sculptor, he generated numerous artworks in various mediums until shortly before his passing. After his retirement at 55, he established and operated two art centers-Ramsey Art Gallery in Shoreview followed by the Lake Elmo Art Center. Moreover, he participated in a range of art venues, such as Gallery 96 in Shoreview (president in 1999) and Robbin Gallery in Robbinsdale (president in 2004). He worked closely with the founder of the Arts in Harmony show in Elk River and took over the show when the founder passed; he then found various venues for the exhibit, such as Blaine City Hall, until he persuaded the Hopkins Center for the Arts to take over the show. They rebranded it as Arts North and it has run successfully there for several years. Once they took over, he devoted himself to sponsoring awards for the show and encouraging others to follow his example. He was the Minnesota State Fair Fine Arts Superintendent, starting as an assistant in 2000, and serving from 2005-2010. He was proud to have one of his works accepted in the State Fair Fine Arts exhibit in 1995. A member of Christ the King Lutheran Church in New Brighton since 1991, he served on the Property Committee, Audit Committee, Brew Crew, Building Fund committee, and Local Mission Committee. He also visited elderly people for nine years as a participant in the Stephen Ministry program, which gave him a deeper understanding of the needs of older people. After retiring at 55, he did fundraising for various organizations, such as the Lutheran Laity Movement for Stewardship. He was pleased to belong to two men's coffee groups, with whom he would share stories and cartoons from The New Yorker. He also enjoyed sending articles and cartoons to various friends. Gardening was another strong interest; he was a member of the Digger's Club in Robbinsdale and later attached himself firmly to Pine Grove Gardens, a public park on Club West Parkway in Blaine. He was a strong advocate with the city of Blaine on behalf of the garden and devoted many hours to keeping it attractive (that is, when he wasn't chatting with the people who strolled through it). Community service was also important to him; he served as an election judge and later as a head election judge for many years. He ran for Shoreview City Council in 1998. In 2008, he was involved in the Community Emergency Response Team. Active for several years with the Ramsey County School Safety Patrol, he bought a button maker and made buttons for the kids. He belonged to the Arden Hills/Shoreview Rotary Club as member and president, and was a member, president (2019), and Zone Chair (2021) for the Blaine Central Lions Club. On a somewhat smaller scale, he was a board member for Knollwood Creek Association and, after moving to Club West, he promptly became a board member for his subdivision, Winchester Place, as well as a member of the master board. After numerous hospital stays for various health reasons, he moved into Blaine Senior Living/Crest View in August of 2025, where he became a popular addition, valued by residents, staff, and hospice. Bob's life, especially in his later years, was characterized by courage, perseverance, curiosity, and optimism. After he became ill, he did not focus on what he couldn't do, but what he could do. A Celebration of Life will take place on Tuesday, October 20, 2026, from 6:00 pm to 8:30 pm at Washburn-McReavy's Coon Rapids Chapel (1827 Coon Rapids Blvd NW) with a service from 7:00 - 7:30 pm. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to the Purdue for Life Foundation (ATTN: Donor Services, 403 West Wood Street, West Lafayette, IN 47907-2007). Checks may be made payable to Purdue for Life Foundation and the memo line should read "Dr. Robert Meyer Life Sciences Scholarship." One of Bob's bequests was to help other people receive an education.

Robert Frederick Meyer

August 31, 1946 - August 23, 2026

Explore Obituaries &
Upcoming Services