Richard "Rick" Robert Meierotto

Richard Robert Meierotto, age 94, was born on Aug 17, 1931 in Litchfield, MN, and died on Nov 9, 2025 in St. Paul after a battle with cardiac amyloidosis. Between those dates, Rick shared his warmth, wisdom and generosity as a beloved husband, father, grandfather, friend, professor, mentor, and volunteer.

When Rick was a toddler, his parents moved the family to start a farm in Bayfield, WI. He grew up hunting, fishing, playing baseball and basketball, studying and doing chores. Rick’s lifelong love of distance running was born in Bayfield as running was usually the only and fastest way to get to all the fun. In 1949 he graduated from Bayfield High School. After a year as a lumberjack on Madeline Island, he spent four life changing years in the Air Force because the Navy recruiter in Ashland was away at lunch. Encouraged to the teaching profession by his military experience and funded by the GI Bill, he attended the then St. Thomas College in St. Paul, graduating in 1958. He majored in Biology and spent summers banding ducks for the MN DNR. Rick went on to grad school at Marquette University, Milwaukee, where he fell for fellow student Joan Blackburn who was one year ahead in their Masters in Ecology program. They married in Joan’s hometown of Independence, Iowa, in 1961. That same year he was hired by the Biology Dept at St. Thomas, so the couple moved to St. Paul. Joan, an RN, worked at St. Joe’s Hospital. While teaching, he attended the U of M, obtaining his Wildlife Management PhD in 1967. A subsequent multi summer National Geographic-funded research project in the Apostle Islands created never-to-be forgotten memories for the family. Rick spent a joyful career teaching; getting to know students and colleagues, leading field trips, sharing his passion for science, especially the environment. He inspired and nurtured generations of students to be good planet stewards and to practice moderation. He encouraged healthy exercise by example, being a many-decade runner of the Grandma’s and the Twin City Marathons. Only a knee injury at age 78 ended his running. Joan and Rick retired from St. Thomas in 1995. Innumerable hours were logged as fans at grandchildren’s sporting and musical events.

Joan and Rick spent exciting decades exploring the world. Their love of birding and ecotourism took them off the beaten track. They made friends and spread goodwill along their journeys. They led student and adult trips to Australia and New Zealand and hosted international visitors through the SERVAS program.

Rick and Joan were always serious about civic engagement, they were active protectors of the environment against threats to clean air and water, issues such as acid rain, BWCA, climate change, biological diversity. They were volunteers in caregiver respite, meals on wheels, river testing for DNR, Belwin Conservancy, and their church. He was a ten plus gallon Red Cross blood donor.

Rick is preceded in death by his parents, Raymond and Marie (McGuire) and brothers James and Anthony. He is survived by his brother, Thomas, and sister, Sr Brigid, SNC; wife, Joan, and children, Mary Ann (Dan) Deeg, Martha Pott, and Mark; grandchildren, Adam and Natalie (Loren Schultz) Deeg, Tate and Maddi Meierotto, and Caitlin and Brandon Pott; nieces and nephews.

Many thanks to the incredible people at Lakeview and Health Partners Hospice, Care-a-Parent, the VA, and Carondelet Village.

In lieu of flowers, please consider making a donation to Climate Generation or an environmental organization of your choosing in Rick’s honor.

A funeral service will be held on Monday, Nov 24, 2025 at noon with visitation one hour prior at Carondelet Village Chapel, 525 Fairview Ave S, St. Paul. A larger Celebration of Life for Rick will be held on April 18, 2026, 11-2 pm, at Afton State Park Visitor Center.