Robert John "Bob" Falk

Robert John ""Bob'' Falk, 84, of Mount Royal Pines Apartments in Duluth, died June 28, 2008 in St. Luke's Hospice. During the days prior to his death he enjoyed the love and support of his family and friends. Bob was born July 11, 1923 in Duluth to Gust and Martha (Viken) Falk. Bob graduated from Duluth Denfeld High School in 1941. He attended Young and Hirsch Business College, where he met his wife Dorothy Nicholson. During World War II he served in the U. S. Navy in the South Pacific. Bob and Dorothy were married May 22, 1945 in Duluth and returned to reside here after living briefly in California. They lived in the Woodland neighborhood for almost 40 years and then lived at the Mt. Royal Pines Apartments for 15 years. Bob was a longtime member of Woodland (now Hope) United Methodist Church. Bob graduated from the University of Minnesota Duluth (UMD) with a B. A. in history and went on to receive his masters and Ph. D. degrees in educational psychology from the University of Minnesota. Bob's professional career was spent at UMD. He first worked in the Office of Student Personnel Services, where he served as Associate and Acting Director. He later taught in the Department of Psychology for 25 years, retiring as an Associate Professor in 1989. In retirement, he founded the Darland Center at UMD, which coordinates student volunteer activities in the community. During his career at UMD, Bob (or ""R J'' as he was known on campus) was involved in founding what is now known as the Tutoring Center and the Instructional Development Service. His contributions to the University were recognized when he received the Horace T. Morse Award for Outstanding Contributions to Undergraduate Education, the UMD Chancellor's Service Award, and the University of Minnesota President's Award for Service. Bob is preceded in death by his wife, Dorothy on March 26, 2008; his parents; his brother, Gunnar; and his daughter, Barbara Falk Samuelson. Bob is survived by his son, Dennis (Jackie) of Duluth; grandchildren, Amy Samuelson of Duluth, Andrew Falk of Berkeley, Calif., Krissy (Steve) Snyder and James Falk of Boulder, Colo., and their friends who had a special affection for him; brothers-in-law and sisters-in-law, William and Rose Marie Nicholson of Oakdale, Minn., and Richard and Corky Nicholson of Burnsville; many nieces and nephews and their families; and many friends, especially those he knew through Bixby's Cafe. Bob's family would like to thank the staff and residents of Pines III Assisted Living and the staff at the Franciscan Health Care Center and St. Luke's Hospice for their compassionate care and support. FUNERAL SERVICE:1 p.m. on July 11, 2008, which is the 85th anniversary of his birth. The service will be held in Hope United Methodist Church, 301 W. St. Marie St., Duluth, with visitation prior to the service at noon. Following a reception and refreshments at the church, Bob's and Dorothy's joint interment service will be held at Sunrise Memorial Park. In lieu of flowers, the family requests memorials be directed to the R J Falk Memorial Fund, 315 Darland Building, University of Minnesota Duluth, 10 University Drive, Duluth, MN 55812, or to the charity of your choice.


This obituary was originally published in the Duluth News Tribune.