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Paul Fjelstad, 1929-2013

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Paul Fjelstad (St. Olaf Class of ’51) served as an Associate Professor of Natural Sciences at St. Olaf College for 21 years before retiring in 1988

Cannon Valley Friends Meeting was saddened to learn of the death of our long time friend Paul Fjelstad on Tuesday, December 3, 2013.

A Memorial Celebration of Paul's life and Meeting for Worship in the manner of Quakers was held at 1:00 pm on Saturday, December 14th, at the First United Church of Christ (UCC), 300 Union Street, Northfield.  

The following tribute to Paul Fjelstad appeared in the December 4, 2013 issue of the St. Olaf News:

St. Olaf mourns passing of two retired faculty members

Paul Fjelstad ’51 served as an associate professor of natural sciences at St. Olaf College for 21 years before retiring in 1988. He died December 3.

Retired St. Olaf College faculty members Paul Fjelstad ’51 and John Treon, each of whom served the school for more than two decades, have died.

An alumnus of the college, Fjelstad was the only Ole ever to graduate with majors and departmental honors in five fields of study: physics, mathematics, chemistry, German, and philosophy. He went on to earn his doctorate at Harvard University.

He joined the St. Olaf faculty in 1967 and served as an associate professor of natural sciences until retiring in 1988. Fjelstad was one of the founding members of the Paracollege, a tutorial program that offered an alternative to the structured liberal arts curriculum. He creatively applied the science of mathematics to all facets of human life.

The following obituary appeared in the Northfield News on December 6, 2013 :

Paul Fjelstad, 84

Paul Fjelstad, age 84, of Northfield, passed away peacefully Tuesday, Dec. 3, 2013.

Paul was born March 1, 1929, to Zillah and Olin in St. Paul.

He graduated from Owatonna High School, St. Olaf College and Harvard. He taught physics, mathematics, science and philosophy at Bates, Shimer and St. Olaf colleges, interspersed by sabbaticals in Switzerland, Germany and Liberia.

Paul was an avid thinker and traveler deftly crossing disciplines and continents in constant quest to meet new people and explore new ways to see the world.

Paul played with words and ideas through his last weeks, intertwining theology, mathematics, poetry and philosophy. Paul accepted the challenges of living with Parkinson’s with grace and courage.

He is survived by his sister, Ruth; his former wife, Giovanna; his children, Per (Lu), Annika (Heather), Kaj and Lars (Martha); and grandchildren, Ian, Soljan, Josiah and Gabe.

A memorial celebration and worship in the manner of the Quakers will be held at 1 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 14, 2013, at Northfield Congregational Church.

In lieu of flowers, the family suggests a donation to the National Parkinson Foundation Minnesota or the Magnus the Good fund at St. Olaf College.

The following obituary was published in the Minneapolis Star Tribune on December 6, 2013:

Fjelstad, Paul of Northfield, MN (3/1/29- 12/3/13) graduated from Owatonna High School, St. Olaf College and Harvard. He taught physics, math, science and philosophy at Bates, Shimer and St. Olaf colleges, interspersed by extended sabbaticals in Switzerland, Germany and Liberia. Paul was an avid thinker and traveler deftly crossing disciplines and continents in constant quest to explore new ways to see and understand the world.

Paul intertwined poetry, philosophy, mathematics and theology until his last days. Paul lived the challenges of Parkinson's with grace and courage. Sister, Ruth; former wife, Giovanna; children, Per (Lu), Annika (Heather), Kaj and Lars (Martha); and grandchildren, Ian, Soljan, Josiah and Gabe invite you to celebrate his life in a memorial Meeting in the manner of the Quakers at 1 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 14, 2013, United Church of Christ, 300 Union Street, Northfield, MN. (http://firstucc.org/ 507-645-7532)

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