John F. Soechting

September 27, 1943- January 8, 2026

Leaving a legacy of the graduate and undergraduate students he taught or trained during his 40 years at the University of Minnesota, John F. Soechting died January 8, 2026, in Great Barrington, MA.

Born in Vienna, Austria, to parents Friedrich and Elisabeth Soechting, John grew up in Wayne, N.J. As a boy, he shared with his father what became a lifelong interest in collecting and trading foreign postage stamps.

Early in his youth, he discovered the liberating power of work and found his first job at the age of 14 as a caddie at the golf course near his family home. During high school, he worked as many hours as could be assigned after school, at the nearby A & P Grocery.

From an early age, he was interested in science, math, history, and politics. Learning foreign languages came easy for him, and he placed third in French comprehension during a New Jersey all-state high school competition.

John graduated from Lehigh University in 1965 with a degree in engineering physics. He then received a PhD in 1969 in Mechanics from Cornell University. After receiving his PhD, he moved to Brown University as a Research Associate.

In 1972, John went to the University of Minnesota as a Postdoctoral Fellow. In 1975, he joined the faculty in the Department of Physiology, rising to Associate Professor in 1979 and then professor in 1985. In 2000, he joined the newly formed Department of Neuroscience, where he remained until his retirement in 2011. He served terms as Director of both the Graduate and Undergraduate Programs in Neuroscience. He always found time to mentor junior faculty, and to talk politics and science with them over a beer on Friday afternoons.

At the University of Minnesota, John's research primarily focused on how the brain controls hand and eye coordination. Early in his career, he received a prestigious Javits Award, grant funding awarded to scientists for their superior competence and outstanding productivity. Working in collaboration with numerous colleagues, nationally and internationally, he published over 125 research papers.

John loved oysters on the half shell; interesting food and wines; and building his own authentic, woodfired bread oven soon after he retired. He spent many hours touring the backroads of Berkshire and Columbia Counties anticipating wildlife sightings.

In retirement, John greatly enjoyed the Berkshires, yet wanted to actively plan for a better future in the area. He was particularly interested in assuring ways for all high school graduates or adult learners in the South Berkshires to obtain at least two years of post high school training. This led him to first create, through the Great Barrington Rotary Club, the Two for All Scholarships, for students pursuing training in the trades and technologies, including healthcare, construction, mechanics, and culinary fields. Building on this concept, he and his wife then created Berkshire Catalyst: Promoting Access to Post-Secondary Education and Training Fund, as a component fund of the Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation, Inc.

John is survived by his wife of 55 years, Jerry; sisters Elisabeth Kuech (husband Heiner) and Anne Marie Garvey; sisters-in-law Gail Soechting and Leigh Cameron; and numerous nieces, nephews, grand nieces and grand nephews.

According to his wishes, there will be no services. John's family acknowledges the extraordinary help and skills provided by the Southern Berkshire Ambulance Squad and suggests memorial donations to Southern Berkshire Ambulance, 31 Lewis Avenue, Great Barrington, MA 01230 or c/o Finnerty & Stevens Funeral Home, 426 Main Street, Great Barrington, MA 01230.