Roger Bruce Meintzer, 79, of Grand Forks passed away Thursday, December 28th, 2006, at Altru Hospital in Grand Forks.
Roger was born on July 5, 1927, to Christian and Gladys (Teghtmeyer) Meintzer in Fargo, ND, where he grew up and attended school. Upon graduation from Fargo Central High School in 1945, he joined the U.S. Navy and served until 1946.
He attended NDSU where he earned his BS and MS degrees in chemistry and then his doctorate in biochemistry from the University of Wisconsin (Madison).
Roger married Beatrice Cretney in Monroe, LA, on August 21, 1954. Bea passed away in 2000. He did postdoctoral research at the University of Wisconsin and at Northwestern University Medical School between 1954 and 1957.
He taught biochemistry at NDSU from 1957-67 and at the University of Lethbridge, Alberta from 1967-1989. In Lethbridge, he also served as acting university vice-president and as chairman of the chemistry department. Roger served as chairman of the United Way and 14 years on the Lethbridge Public School Board.
Roger was preceded in death by his parents, two brothers and a sister. He is survived by his companion, Marge, and his seven children in Alberta, Canada; Chris (Judy), Rob (Joan), Karl (Dawn), Rodney (Sheila), Edith (Mike), Sandy and Ken (Laura-Lee), sixteen grandchildren, two great-grandchildren and many nieces and nephews.
A memorial service was held on Thursday, January 4, 2007, at First Presbyterian Church, Grand Forks.
Donations in his memory may be made directly to benefit Alzheimer’s research or to First Presbyterian Church in Grand Forks.