In Memoriam

Legal

Jerome Blatz, 85, taxation lawyer for 50 years and senator from his hometown of Bloomington who also served as a Navy pilot and became a weather expert. During his 14 years in the Senate, he helped create the legislative framework for Bloomington’s volunteer fire department. Blatz enjoyed playing poker, gin rummy and bridge, and owned a racehorse.

Robert Christensen, 94, former Minnesota legislator who supported increased funding for urban schools. The father of 10, he served in the House for eight years and also worked at 3M. After retiring in 1980, Christensen was trained and ordained as a Roman Catholic deacon, serving in Minnesota and Arizona.

Charles H. Clay, 83, lawyer who helped the Legislature create the Metropolitan Council. Clay, who loved railroads, worked for the Soo Line Railroad for 30 years and co-founded short-line railroads for North Dakotans and Minnesotans.

Lorraine Clugg, 66, family law attorney who practiced at Twin Cities law firms for more than 25 years. Clugg was Richfield’s city prosecutor but also represented school districts, including Edina and Hopkins; she was awarded the Professionalism Award from the Hennepin County Bar Association’s Family Law Section.

A. James Dickinson, 67, former Ramsey County district judge for nearly 11 years before retiring in 2008 and civil law attorney for 11 years prior. Dickinson, a resident of St. Paul his entire life except for his undergraduate years, volunteered with Minnesota Landmarks Inc., played squash with Gov. Arne Carlson, and enjoyed spending time with his family at their cabin on Madeline Island in Lake Superior.

David Doyscher, 69, Washington County district judge for 23 years and attorney. As a judge, he agreed with the jury that a former inmate, who had been found guilty of threatening prison guards, did not, for safety reasons, need to return to prison. Doyscher was a Gopher sports fan and enjoyed traveling: he chaperoned a church youth trip to Africa, and he spent six months in Kosovo in 2004, serving as an international judge for the U.N.

John T. Finley, 69, Ramsey County district judge and attorney who served the longest term of any member on the Ramsey County Board of Commissioners, from 1970 until 1996. During his time on the board, Ramsey County built the first recycling center and waste-to-energy building system, refurbished several golf courses, and expanded on what is now Regions Hospital.

Edward Glennon, 85, Minneapolis trial lawyer who helped make the National Football League’s free agency possible. He persuaded the court to strike the “Rozelle Rule,” which restricted NFL players’ movement between teams. Glennon practiced law for 60 years, starting as a trial lawyer for the Soo Line Railroad before helping found Lindquist & Vennum.

Robert “Gundy” Gunderson, 56, probate and guardianship attorney who volunteered at his children’s schools and at organizations for the disabled. His older sister, who was disabled, prompted his involvement with organizations his parents had volunteered at, including Opportunity Partners Inc.; he also helped draft trust laws that allowed the disabled to have a trust while still receiving medical benefits.

David Kennedy, 77, public finance and municipal law attorney who taught at the University of Minnesota and Minnesota State University–Mankato and was the city attorney for Crystal and Sandstone.  He flew his first solo flight at 14 and later became an aviator in the Navy. Kennedy taught himself Italian and enjoyed playing the piano.

Bernhard (Pete) LeVander, 92, former chairman of the Minnesota Republican Party and lawyer who represented the Lutheran Board of Pensions and the Minnesota State High School League. LeVander was a research assistant for the administration of Gov. Harold Stassen, and, in 1975, he became a knight of the Swedish Royal Order of Vasa because he helped advance Swedish culture in the U.S. LeVander was very active and downhill-skied even in his 80s.

Stephen L. Maxwell, 88, Minnesota’s first black district judge and second black municipal judge. Maxwell spent 19 years as a Ramsey County district judge and served in the U.S Coast Guard and Navy before becoming a lawyer. Aside from his private practice, Maxwell would become legal counsel for St. Paul’s National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, an assistant Ramsey County attorney and the St. Paul city attorney. While at the NAACP, he helped win a verdict for two black men who were refused service in a bar.

Roger C. Miller, 84, former South St. Paul city attorney for 50 years who helped develop the town from its stockyard state. Miller, who worked six-day weeks as an attorney until his retirement in 2007, took on cases involving stockyard protests in the 1960s and, in the ’70s, the placement of high-voltage transmission lines. He started working at Kelly, LeVander & Gillen while still in law school and spent more than 55 years with that firm (now LeVander, Gillen & Miller).

Thomas S. Montgomery, 55, St. Paul attorney who practiced mostly family law, had a feisty sense of humor, and loved reading, baseball, and rock ’n’ roll.

Richard A. Nelson, 61, employee benefits lawyer who co-chaired the DFL Personnel Committee. Nelson worked on major acquisitions including that of Marshall Field’s by Dayton Hudson, and he enjoyed traveling to Norway, where his ancestors once lived.

John R. Person, 84, a St. Paul attorney for more than 40 years. Person was a Sunday school superintendent and served on the board of trustees at Minneapolis’ First Covenant, where he also taught adult Sunday school classes.

David Preus, 86, Minneapolis attorney for 25 years and a P-47 fighter pilot who completed nearly 40 combat missions in Europe. Aside from spending time with his family, Preus enjoyed nature in Wisconsin, purchasing nearly 2,000 acres along the St. Croix River, over half of which was set aside for conservation.

David Ramp, 59, consumer attorney who won a class action lawsuit for about 14,000 poor and minority Minnesotans who were paying large amounts of money for furniture as part of rent-to-own programs. Ramp received many awards for his work for low-income people and the rent-to-own industry. Ramp enjoyed reading about science and history, especially the Civil War.

George Edwin Rapaich, 56, federal and Ramsey County public defender who helped juveniles and less-fortunate community members. He liked to hunt, fish, garden and cook.

Douglas Swenson, 63, a six-term legislator for Anoka and Washington counties, and decade-long judge for the 10th Judicial District. Swenson, whose son was killed in a crash involving an underage drunken driver, was instrumental in passing stricter measures against drunken drivers, including lowering Minnesota’s blood-alcohol content limit to 0.08 percent and authoring the Not A Drop Law, which outlawed drivers under 21 from having any alcohol in their systems when operating motor vehicles. He also spent time in private practice and another 20 years at the Washington County Attorney’s office. He enjoyed fishing and theater.

David Wexler, 55, personal injury lawyer and Hennepin County guardian ad litem who was a strong advocate for people with disabilities. Wexler filed a complaint with the state Department of Human Rights about metro-area taxi companies that charged more for passengers with wheelchairs or scooters, which resulted in a change to equal rates. Wexler, who was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, raised over $550,000 in his lifetime for the National MS Foundation, which put him in its Fundraising Hall of Fame.

Robert Humphrey Zalk, 64, family law attorney, who practiced for nearly 40 years and represented Kirby Puckett. Zalk received the Civility and Professionalism Award from the Hennepin County Bar Association’s Family Law Section. He volunteered for a multi-denominational organization that organizes weekend retreats at churches; he also enjoyed baseball.

Political

Otto Bang, 77, an Edina legislator for 20 years who helped introduce the bill that raised Minnesota’s sales tax from 4 percent to 5 percent in 1981. Bang, who worked in publishing and then in insurance, also helped pass a bill allowing acoustics businesses to set off firecrackers to test sound in buildings, which had previously been outlawed in Minnesota.

John Biersdorf, 83, representative of Dodge and Steele counties for 10 years who chaired the Commerce, Economic Development and Housing Committee and served on others. Biersdorf, who helped write laws to preserve wetlands, loved fishing on Minnesota’s lakes, hunting for deer and grouse, and playing golf.

Gladys Brooks, 95, former Minneapolis councilwoman and member of the Metropolitan Council who was named the 1984 Regional Citizen of the Year and received an honorary doctor of law degree from Hamline University. Brooks helped establish the Minneapolis skyway system and was a co-founder of the Minnesota International Center.

Thomas Byrne, 85, two-term St. Paul mayor who reinstated the city’s St. Patrick’s Day Parade. During Byrne’s time as mayor, St. Paul passed a human rights ordinance, becoming the first city in the U.S. to do so. Byrne enjoyed fishing in northern Minnesota, reading, and collecting coins and stamps.

Stanley Fudro, 90, 24-year House representative and former chairman of the state House Transportation Committee. Fudro built homes and invented toys and games. A champion boxer in college, Fudro later coached boxing at the Corker Club; he also served in the Coast Guard in World War II and was awarded a Purple Heart.

Edward Gearty, 86, Minnesota representative for eight years and senator for a decade, who served as a Minnesota assistant attorney general before opening a law practice. He enjoyed reading about history and theology, and working in his yard.

Dan Guider, 66, Woodbury councilman and the city’s second mayor. As mayor, he helped Woodbury develop from an agriculture community by getting Woodbury its first city hall and high school, and connecting Woodbury’s parks and lakes through a hundred miles of bicycle and pedestrian trails. Guider was a volunteer and mentor, and enjoyed hunting, fishing and snowmobiling at his cabin.

Maynard Harms, 77, former Belle Plaine mayor and award-winning agriculture teacher who co-founded Belle Plaine’s Bar-B-Q Days over 50 years ago. Harris taught at Belle Plaine High School for 27 years and was inducted into the Minnesota Future Farmers of America Hall of Fame in 2008.

David Hoium, 62, former journalist who served as the communications director for the Republican Party.  Hoium was a press aide for multiple Minnesota Republicans and co-wrote a book about Jon Grunseth’s run for governor.

Brad Krick, 68, newly elected mayor of Belle Plaine who was previously superintendent of public works for the city. Krick, who grew up on a farm, was married in Las Vegas in 1962.

Louis (Pud) Melius, 93, 30-year Winthrop councilmember and, later, Winthrop’s mayor for nearly a decade. Melius, who lived in Winthrop his entire life, managed the Winthrop Eagles baseball team in1956 and again in the early 1970s; he revived the team in 1994 and was inducted into the Minnesota Amateur Baseball Association Hall of Fame 10 years later.

John Mitchell Sr., 91, the first black Golden Valley councilmember who established Black History Month celebrations and was also the first black man to serve on Golden Valley’s Human Rights Commission. Mitchell worked at Honeywell and in 1957 became head of Reliability of Guidance controls for Apollo 11. Aside from his community involvement through various organizations, Mitchell played board games and bridge, and liked to sing with his church choir.

Dennis Newinski, 64, former Twin Cities legislator who was a Republican congressional candidate three times.

Alice Rainville, 80, the first female president of the Minneapolis City Council and first woman to serve on the Metropolitan Transit Commission. Rainville served as City Council president for 10 years (one of the longest-serving presidents), during which time she helped develop Minneapolis, the University of St. Thomas’ downtown campus, the Greenway and the Minneapolis Convention Center. An avid reader, Rainville supported public libraries.

Elton Redalen, 83, state representative for 14 years until Gov. Arne Carlson named him commissioner of Minnesota’s Agriculture Department. Redalen, who served in the Navy during World War II, worked a dairy farm for 50 years.

Lucile E. Roemer, 99, first woman elected to the Duluth City Council. A resident of Duluth for 32 years, Roemer served as its acting mayor and chief of its public library. She would later move to Minneapolis where she had previously taught French and English in public schools; she often traveled for six-month trips to the British Isles.