Frederick S Mentzer

Frederick Samuel MENTZER

December 4, 1929 ~ January 3, 2025

(Age 95)

Frederick (Fred) S. Mentzer, 95, passed away peacefully January 3, 2025 at Oak Meadows Senior Living in Oakdale, Minnesota. 

Fred was born December 4, 1929, in North Lima, Ohio. He served in the U.S. Air Force and Naval Reserves. He graduated from the University of North Dakota in Electrical Engineering. He married Catherine Rose Reff, the love of his life for over 70 years, on September 4, 1954. 

Fred worked for General Electric, moving around to many states until he settled in North St. Paul in 1963. He also worked full time for Control Data and then Sperry Rand/UNISYS, retiring in 1989. 

Fred loved trips to Ohio and talking to his brother Bob as an amateur Hamm radio operator (call sign KQ0N). During the summers, you would find Fred tending to his State Fair prize-winning vegetables, most notably the blue-ribbon garlic. As a winter Texan in Mission for decades, his amazing fruit trees produced 800 lbs+ of oranges, tangelos, and grapefruit each Christmas for transport to Minnesota for family and friends. Fred loved anything wires, wood and dirt. He designed and built an addition to his home in Texas to display his many handmade radio-controlled (RC) airplanes, a 5-star, three-car garage for his garden shed, a basement workroom for his Hamm equipment, and many hockey rinks to grow future generations of hockey players. 

Fred Mentzer lived life to the fullest! “Mentzer Mezzanine” was dedicated in honor of Fred’s involvement as one of the four founding-fathers of Polar Ice Arena in North St. Paul. He was one of the longest time wearers of the Medtronic Defibrillator since his massive heart attack in 1982, at age 52, playing ice hockey. He was one of the last surviving members of his high school class. Fred loved skiing Big Sky Mountain in Montana, deep-sea fishing in Rhode Island, deer hunting in North Dakota, Ohio State football, and actively participating in the community - Hockey Booster Club, Boy Scouts, Jaycees, RC Flyers, Old Timers Hockey, and Lions Club. 

Fred was preceded in death by his parents, Leonard Scott and Cecelia May (Weeden) Mentzer; five brothers: Lemuel, Robert, L. Cecil, John, Richard; one grandson Jason Graske; and one great granddaughter Rebecca Westphal. 

Fred is survived by his loving wife, Catherine R. Mentzer; four daughters: Judy (Jerry) Hunt; Pat (Ron) Gehring; Diane (Bob) Graske; Cathy (Kim) Dvorak; eight grandchildren: Chrissy (Mike) Olson, Nikki Hunt; Justin (Amber) Gehring, Amy (Collin) Kessner; John (Katie Anne) Graske, Katie (Joe) Westphal; Ali (Matt) Finch, Kavin (McKenzie) Dvorak; 15 great-grandchildren: Anthony Olson; Lincoln and Eloise Gehring; Coralynn, Ruby, and Lettie Kessner; MaKenna Graske-Winkler, Calvin and Piper Graske; Jaylee, Brooklyn, and Skylar Westphal; Marek, Lowek, and Evyn Finch. 

Mass of a Christian burial will be held at 11 AM Tuesday, January 14, 2025 at St. Ambrose Catholic Church at 4125 Woodbury Drive, Woodbury, MN. A one-hour visitation will precede the funeral mass at 10 AM. All are invited to a luncheon after Mass. Interment will be at St Mary’s Cemetery in Bismarck, North Dakota, later this spring. Arrangements will be handled by O’Halloran & Murphy Funeral Home, Valley Creek Road, Woodbury, MN. 

We wish to thank the staff at Oak Meadows and Hospice of the Midwest for taking such great care of this much-loved man in his last days. 

In lieu of flowers, Fred’s family kindly requests donations be made in Fred’s honor to St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital.

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