A University of St. Thomas department chairman died on Christmas Day after he fell the day before while shoveling snow from the roof of his Shoreview home.
John Rohwer, 64, head of the Health and Human Performance Department, fell Friday onto his drive and was taken to Regions Hospital, where he died, according to the St. Paul university's news service.
A memorial service is scheduled for Wednesday night at King of Kings Lutheran Church, 2330 N. Dale St., Roseville, with visitation beforehand from 3 to 6 p.m. at the church. Rohwer was buried Tuesday in Trimont, Minn., the same city where he and his wife, Marletta, were married 38 years ago.
Rohwer joined St. Thomas in 2008 after 22 years in the Health and Physical Education Department at Bethel University. He also taught summers in the late 1980s and 1990s at Concordia University in St. Paul and Augsburg College.
"John had a real passion for advancing student learning," said Marisa Kelly, dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, who hired him. "He brought a lot of enthusiasm to everything that he did, and he was incredibly committed to his students. He also was an accomplished scholar."
Rohwer was born in Aberdeen, S.D., and grew up on a farm near Groton, S.D. He graduated from Concordia, where he ran cross-country and track. He also held degrees from Concordia College in River Forest, Ill., the University of Minnesota and the University of Northern Colorado.
Since 1985, Rohwer had written six books or supplements, presented 40 papers at conferences, published 25 research articles and received a dozen grants for research projects, the St. Thomas news service reported.
Rohwer also had worked as a referee for high school and college basketball and high school football games since 1986.
