Ronald James Tabar

Ron Tabar, a man with an amused smile, a love for walleye-fishing and a scientist’s mind for solving puzzles of all sorts, died unexpectedly of a heart attack on April 13th.

The youngest of five brothers, Ron was just 74 years old from beginning his life near Detroit, Mich. He graduated from Northwestern University (Evanston) in 1972 with a degree in materials science, and the next year he married Marghe, whom he had dated since high school. They settled in Dearborn, where Ron worked on developing high impact car bumpers at the Ford Motor Co.

The couple moved to Amherst, Mass., where Ron earned a PhD in polymer science from the Univ. of Massachusetts. and then to St. Paul. At 3M he worked on multi-layer film products such as a new version of Scotch tape, film for inside computer screens, and microporous films.

A man with many interests, Ron liked to note that he was a rare season-ticket holder of both the Minnesota Vikings and the Guthrie Theater. He followed the Wild; he played amateur hockey and racquetball when younger and currently enjoyed golf with his 3M buddies; he ran a fantasy football league. He regularly could be found, either in his boat on the St. Croix River or ice fishing for walleyes on Red Lake.

He had a passion for lifelong learning, particularly at the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) at the Univ. of Minnesota, where he regularly took classes and led groups in book discussions, theater-going, ethnic dining, and Fantasy Football.

Ron loved wisecracks and taking up a debate. He accompanied his morning coffee with Sudoku puzzles and vied with Jeopardy contestants on TV. He read economics, history and other non-fiction and would spend hours preparing presentations for book clubs.

He enjoyed living in a neighborhood where he could walk to the library, admire the homes, and chat with friends. The neighborhood will feel diminished by his absence.

Ron is survived by Marghe, his wife of 52 years, a constant, loyal companion for life. A celebration of Ron’s life will be held this summer. Memorial gifts may be directed to the OLLI Scholars, Osher Lifelong Learning Institute, U of MN Foundation, 200 Oak St. Ste 500 Minneapolis, MN 55455.