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Funeral for emeritus Donald Tarr to be held today

By David Gonnerman '90
June 23, 2006

Donald Tarr, professor emeritus of chemistry at St. Olaf and an active member of the Northfield community, died June 18 in Northfield of a heart attack. He was 73.

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Donald Tarr taught chemistry at St. Olaf from 1965 to 1996. A major accomplishment during his tenure was co-authoring, with colleague Gary Miessler, a chemistry textbook.
Tarr retired from St. Olaf in 1996, 31 years after teaching his first class at the college. He was born in Norfolk, Neb., and earned his A.B. degree from Doane College in 1954. He later earned a master's and a doctorate from Yale University, and performed postdoctoral study at the University of Colorado and the University of Kent in England. He taught at Wooster College for six years before coming to St. Olaf.

In 1991 Tarr and colleague Gary Miessler, also a professor of chemistry, authored a textbook for publisher Prentice Hall called Inorganic Chemistry. "We had used different books and were not satisfied," said Tarr when explaining what had prompted the two faculty members to tackle such a large project. Tarr spent a year's leave and many summers working on the book.

In 1984 Don and his wife, Marge, spent a few weeks at the Asian Rural Institute in Japan, where they participated -- along with people from 15 nations -- in various agricultural projects aimed at reducing world hunger. The founder of the institute and director at the time of the visit was Tarr's college roommate, Toshihiro Takami.

Tarr also was a widely known volunteer in the Northfield Community. "He was everywhere. Even in death he has enhanced life for others by being an organ donor," wrote College Pastor Bruce Benson in an e-mail notice about Tarr's death to the St. Olaf community. Some of Tarr's more prominent duties included serving as chair of the Northfield Housing and Redevelopment Authority, managing theater facilities at the Northfield Arts Guild and leading the Northfield Area Foundation.

Tarr is survived by his wife, Marge; a son, Stephen '80; and a daughter, Elizabeth. Donald and Marge also have served as "parent figures" to Kaori Takami Natsume '91, the daughter of Donald's college roommate. The funeral service will be held at First United Church of Christ (Congregational) in Northfield Friday, June 23, at 11 a.m. Visitation will be 6 to 8 p.m. Thursday at Bierman Funeral Home in Northfield (1316 Division St. S., 507-645-4153).

Prefered memorials include the First United Church of Christ in Northfield and the Northfield Area Foundation, but the family will welcome donations to any charity.

Contact David Gonnerman at 507-786-3315 or gonnermd@stolaf.edu.