Peter W. Carr

Peter Carr, 81, formerly of St. Paul, died on Saturday after a long illness. 

He is survived by his wife, Mary, his children, Sean (Keri Kramer), Erin (Bryan Short), and Kelly Van Ranst (Trevor), and his nephews, Josh Carr and Gerard Brown. 

He was preceded in death by his first wife, Leah Carr, his mother, Kathleen, and his brother, Timothy. 

Peter was born in Brooklyn, New York, where he was educated through college, earning his bachelor’s degree from what was then called the Brooklyn Polytechnic Institute. He received his PhD in chemistry from the Pennsylvania State University in 1968 and, after postdoctoral studies at Stanford University in Palo Alto, CA., accepted his first faculty position at the University of Georgia in Athens. In 1977, he joined the faculty of the University of Minnesota–Twin Cities, where he taught and did research for more than 45 years. An analytical chemist, his areas of research included electrochemistry, ion selective electrodes, thermochemistry, and immobilized enzymes, and he was a pioneer in high performance liquid chromatography, receiving every major award in the field, such as the A.J.P. Martin Gold Medal (2010), the American Chemical Society Award in Chromatography (1997), and the LCGC Lifetime Achievement Award (2013). He was also a respected and beloved teacher, mentoring more than 100 graduate students and postdoctoral researchers during his career, many of whom gathered in Minnesota this past summer to belatedly celebrate his 80th birthday and his remarkable academic achievements. It must also be noted that he was a formidable foe of the smallmouth bass and other species in the Mississippi River and Lake Vermillion, always seeming to know where, when, and how to catch them. 

Mass of Christian Burial 10:00 AM Monday, December 29, at the Church of St. Agnes, 548 Lafond Ave., St. Paul. Visitation 2-5 PM Sunday, December 28, at Mueller-Bies Funeral Home-Roseville, 2130 N. Dale St @ County Rd B, and from 9-10 AM Monday at the church. Interment at Calvary Cemetery, Anoka.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be directed to the Professor Peter Carr Fund Dedicated to Graduate Education in the University of Minnesota’s College of Science and Engineering.

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