The man whose body was found over the weekend along Interstate 94 near downtown Minneapolis was identified Tuesday by his wife as a prominent doctor with Hennepin County Medical Center.

Dr. Christopher D. Robert, 50, chief of anesthesiology, was walking to his downtown residence from a workplace Christmas party sometime before his body was discovered around dawn Saturday along I-94 near Groveland Avenue, his wife said.

Dr. Kerry Ace, an emergency room doctor at Children's Hospital in St. Paul, said authorities have shed no light on her husband's death. "If anybody saw anything or knows anything, contact the police," she said.

Her husband's death is a "tragic end to an amazing man," she said. "He was the love of my life."

In confirming Robert's identity, the Hennepin County medical examiner's office said the cause and manner of death remain undetermined.

Ace said Robert was walking to the couple's second home, a condo in the 200 block of 11th Street, from a holiday celebration for the hospital's anesthesiology department. The next thing she learned was that he was dead on the shoulder of the interstate.

Jenni Pinkley, Star Tribune
The scene early Saturday where a body was found on the side of I-94 in Minneapolis. It was been confirmed the body is Hennepin County Medical Center’s Chief of Anesthesiology.

"This is not the way he would want to be remembered," she said.

Ace said her husband "took care of many athletes in the area and other people. … He helped people every day."

Police said Tuesday that they had no further information about Robert's death. A 911 caller alerted authorities to his body shortly before 7:30 a.m.

A State Patrol tweet said Robert's death was "unwitnessed," and did "not appear [to be] a hit & run crash."

Robert graduated from Nova Southeastern University in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. He completed his residency training in anesthesiology at the University of Minnesota.

In a statement, HCMC said Robert joined the hospital in 2003 and was appointed chief of anesthesiology in 2011. "We are profoundly saddened by the loss of Dr. Robert, and we extend our thoughts and support to his family at this difficult time," HCMC said. "We have been supporting his colleagues and co-workers today as they continue their daily work to provide care to our community."

Ace said she met Robert in medical school in Florida. Along with his wife, Robert is survived by a son Evan, 18, and daughter, Jennifer, 11. Services are scheduled for 1 p.m. Saturday at Divine Mercy Church, 139 Mercy Drive, Faribault.

Paul Walsh • 612-673-4482