Robert H. Duesenberg was born December 10, 1930, in St. Louis, Missouri, to Hugo and Edna (Warmann) Duesenberg. His father died in 1941 and his mother died in 1981. All his brothers and sisters are deceased, Carl (Mildred) Duesenberg, Elvera (Joseph) Gerber, Bernice (Carl) Mayer and Richard (Phyllis) Duesenberg, a twin brother and former vice president and general counsel of Monsanto.
On August 4, 1963, Robert was married to Ms. Lori Hall of North Dakota. Lori was, then, a registered nurse practicing in St. Louis. Lori passed away in 2012 from a glioblastoma. Robert and Lori were blessed with Lynda (Karl) Koeppen, Kirsten (William) Hazlett and John Duesenberg, all of whom are living and reside in different states; four grandchildren, Christiaan (Minda) Hazlett, twins Tristan ( Abigail) Hazlett and lan Hazlett and Elle Hazlett, and one great grandchild, Joel, a son of Christiaan and Minda. Lori and Robert reared their family in St. Louis, but later and into retirement resided in Northern Virginia for sixteen years.
Robert retired in 1993 as Vice President and General Counsel of General Dynamics Corporation. His education and legal studies were at Valparaiso University and Valparaiso University Law School and, after two years in military service, at Harvard Law School where he was awarded the Master-in-Law degree in 1956. In 2001, he was awarded an honorary Doctor of Laws degree from Valparaiso University. He served on the board of directors of Valparaiso University in his retirement years. In 2000, he was awarded the Officer’s Cross for the Order of Merit by the government of Germany at Valparaiso University for work done in international relations.
Prior to joining General Dynamics Corporation, Robert served as Vice President and General Counsel of Pet Incorporated in St. Louis. During his years of service at Pet Incorporated he was appointed to the Missouri Coordinating Board for Higher Education on which he served and chaired until 1983.
Robert was a member of the national industry general counsel group and an active member of the defense industry general counsel association.
His wife, Lori, was an encouraging partner to Robert in the years he served as chair of a capital fund raising campaign for Valparaiso University in the 1990s, and, after retirement from General Dynamics, in instituting programs from Colonial Williamsburg to the Lutheran elementary and high school educational systems in St. Louis.
Education and cultural affairs remained an interest through many years of service. At the conclusion of his tenure with General Dynamics, for sixteen years Robert and his wife lived in Northern Virginia during which time Robert served as chair of the Luther Institute in Washington, D.C., and, with his wife, became active at Colonial Williamsburg. Upon returning to St. Louis, Robert and Lori supported programs of portrayals of revolutionary period personnel from Colonial Williamsburg professional staff for Lutheran school system students. Robert and Lori instituted a program to send teachers from the Lutheran school systems to the Colonial Williamsburg annual summer institute, which continues today. Robert and Lori were long supporters of cultural institutions in St. Louis, and for years, assisted Robert Bergt in the founding, performance and recording of liturgical music by The American Kantorei. Since Lori’s death Robert has endowed a recurring performance of J.S. Bach’s Mass in B Minor by the Bach Society of St. Louis.
All praise and thanks to God for a blessed life, for the precious years with Lori, for his children and all to follow.
Visitation at Kutis Affton Chapel 10151 Gravois Rd. 63123 on Wednesday, November 6 from 4-7 pm. then at Concordia Lutheran Church 505 S. Kirkwood Rd. 63122 on Thursday, November 7 from 9:30 am. until Funeral Service time at 10:00 am. Interment at Our Redeemer Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, memorials to the Duesenberg Brain Cancer Research Endowment at Washington University School of Medicine (see info below) or The Robert H. Duesenberg & Lorraine F. Duesenberg Endowment Fund at Lutheran High School South 9515 Tesson Ferry Road, St. Louis, MO 63123 www.lslancers.org are appreciated.
Memorial donations may be directed to the Duesenberg Brain Cancer Research Endowment at WashU. Checks can be mailed to:
MSC 1082-414-2555
Washington University
7425 Forsyth Blvd.
Clayton, MO 63105
Gifts can also be made online: https://giving.wustl.edu/
Donors may write in their designation as “Duesenberg Brain Cancer Research Endowment.”
Dear Duesenberg Family,
Please accept our condolences at the death of Robert, our dear friend from many engagements we had with him and his dear Lori at Roanoke College and the Stewards organization. They were a great blessing in our efforts to keep the “soul” in Christian higher education. We loved being with them.
Now they are together again with all the saints in God’s Kingdom.
Robert and Joanna Benne
As an educator who has benefitted from the program to send Lutheran school teachers to Colonial Williamsburg, I am eternally grateful to the Duesenberg Family and the Foundation for their work and their support of educators. My deepest condolences to the family for their loss.
Brian Geldmacher
Mr. Duesenberg’s love of Germany and German culture rubbed off on his son, John, whom we met on one of his many trips to Germany. Our friendship with John has lasted over 30 years. We were lucky to have met Mr. Duesenberg on several occasions, but John’s love for and devotion to both his parents speak volumes about the people they were. They were generous with their time, invested in the worthy causes of education, the arts, and medical research, and were deeply devoted to their children. We are grateful to have met them, and to have known them through the eyes of their son.
Our hearts are breaking for John, Lynda and Kirsten who must now navigate the future without their beloved father.
With love and sadness,
Kristy & Gordon
We are blessed and honored to continue Bob and Lori’s legacy through the Duesenberg Fund, an endowment they generously established to support need-based financial assistance for children from all socio-economic backgrounds to access any Lutheran elementary school in the St. Louis region. They wanted to help prepare students spiritually to be the Christian leaders our world so desperately needs.
Goodbye for now Dad; thank you for everything. You were an excellent father, and I thank God for you. I will see you again in heaven one day. Until then, and with much appreciation, admiration, respect, gratitude and love, Kirsten
May the memory of good people bless our days.
John,
I know you will miss him. From what I just read he was obviously an amazing person. I could tell you were so proud to be his son.
Your friend,
Brad Layton
To the Duesenberg family,
I want to extend my sympathy to you on your loss. Mr. Duesenberg “brought me on board” the Pet Legal Department in 1978 and he very much affected my working life as a result. He was the consummate professional, but also a good and kind person. I was sorry to learn of his passing. I will keep him and you in my prayers.
Ron Toczylowski
Bob brought me into the General Dynamics law department in late 1985 to succeed an older executive who was Secretary to the Board of Directors. The individual nearing retirement became hostile and unfair to me. Bob evaluated the situation and stuck up for me. 2 years later I was given the position. Bob had faith and confidence in me when others did not. He stood by and encouraged me. I will never forget.
He was a man of principle and faith. Had a good sense of humor and humility.
Goodbye friend and mentor