Kerwin Peter Engelhart

Kerwin Peter Engelhart, 97 passed away peacefully on September 24th. He was born March 6, 1929, at home in Mazeppa, Minnesota, in the middle of a late winter blizzard. He is predeceased by his wife, Doris Engelhart, his mother, Palma (Rohrer) Engelhart, his father, Carl Phillip Engelhart, his sisters, Audrey Wolfe, and Ruth Starz, and his son-in-law, Karl Gensheimer.

After an early childhood filled with small town adventures (he had goats as pets, skated on the pond in the winter, and took a chicken to church while his mother was the organist) he moved to Red Wing in 1942. He was an enthusiastic two-sport Winger and graduated from Red Wing High School in 1947. While at Hamline University he was a member of the 1949 and 1951 National Men's Championships Basketball teams and was captain of the 1951 team.

While a sophomore at Hamline, he met Doris Fehr in a science class and they were married in Fargo, North Dakota, on June 9, 1951. They had two daughters, Paula and Lisa.

Kerwin enlisted in the United States Air Force in July 1952 during the Korean War and served until October 1956 when he was discharged as a first lieutenant after serving two and a half years in Korea and Japan.

He was a teacher and coach in Glencoe, Forest Lake, and Stillwater, before being hired at Rochester John Marshall in 1960. In 1966 he became the Athletic Director at JM and in 1977 was appointed the Supervisor of Athletics for JM and Mayo High Schools. He retired from that position in 1987 and was appointed Region One AA Secretary for the Minnesota State High School League. He remained in that position until 2015 when he retired at age 85. He spent 57 years dedicated to young people as he worked in the activity programs of Minnesota schools.

Kerwin is a member of the Halls of Fame at Red Wing High School, Hamline University, the Minnesota State High School League (MSHL), Minnesota Coaches, Rochester Quarterbacks Club, and the Rochester Park Board Wall of Honor.

He was a member of the Rochester Quarterbacks Club for many decades. He and his wife were members of Christ United Methodist Church for 66 years. Kerwin was active in many community roles. He served on the Park Board for eight years and was President for six. He was a member of the Building Committee for the YMCA and the Committee which established the Rotary Holiday Basketball Tournament. He served youth statewide as a member of the Board of Directors of the MSHL and was President in 1985. The International Rotary Foundation honored him as a Paul Harris Fellow.

While very involved in school and community activities, Kerwin was a dedicated husband, father, grandfather, and great-grandfather. He cherished many family memories from his long and vibrant life. He treasured the camping adventures shared with his young family as they explored the United States and Canada, including attending the Pan American Games in Winnipeg. Later years he loved relaxing with family at their cabin in Wisconsin. He was always grateful that he and Doris were able to enjoy several trips to Europe.

He is survived by his daughters Paula Hart and Lisa O'Brien (Jerry); granddaughters Melissa O'Brien and Lara Manor (Doug); and great-grandchildren Declan and Alice Manor.

Services will be held at 11:00 a.m. Monday, October 26, 2026, at Christ United Methodist Church, 400 5th Ave SW, Rochester, MN 55902. Visitation will begin one hour prior to the service and a luncheon in the Fellowship Hall will follow the service. The family extends its deepest gratitude to the Mayo Clinic and Hospital caregivers over the years and to Mayo Hospice. Kerwin has donated his body to the Mayo Clinic for research and will be buried later with his wife at Mazeppa Cemetery in Mazeppa, Minnesota.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorial gifts be made in memory of Kerwin Engelhart supporting Sports Medicine Research at Mayo Clinic. Donations can be made by phone, online or by mail.

Mail: Please indicate when sending the gift that it is to be designated in support of Mayo Sports Medicine Research in memory of Kerwin Engelhart. Checks can be made directly to Mayo Clinic and sent to: Mayo Clinic, Department of Development, 200 First St SW, Rochester, MN 55905

Phone: To make a gift by credit card or to speak to a Development Representative, call 855-852-8129 (toll-free) between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. Central time, Monday through Friday. Please indicate to the Development Representative that the gift is to be designated in support of Mayo Sports Medicine Research in memory of Kerwin Engelhart.

Online: Gifts can be made online by visiting https://give.mayoclinic.org/give/733902#!/donation/checkout