Obituary of Robert Allen Prusak

Robert (Rob) A. Prusak, age 68, of Duluth, Minnesota died on Sunday, May 7, 2023 at St. Luke’s Hospital after a short illness with Acute Myeloid Leukemia.

Rob grew up in Eveleth, MN, graduating in the class of 1972. He then attended the University of Minnesota, graduating in 1976 with a degree in Civil Engineering. He started his career on August 1, 1976, working for Inland Steel. In 1986, he accepted a position with Great Lakes Calcium in Green Bay, Wisconsin, where he lived with his family until 1998, when they moved to Duluth, MN. He retired in October, 2019, from LafargeHolcim in Superior, WI.

Rob loved his family and the outdoors. He enjoyed shooting sporting clays, hunting, spending time at the deer shack, hiking with his dogs, and welcoming friends and family to the cabin on Big Sturgeon Lake at Side Lake, MN.

Rob enjoyed working with youth sports and spent many years volunteering as a soccer coach and board member for the Howard Hurricanes. He also enjoyed using his engineering background to contribute to civic committees, serving as a trustee on the Village Board in Howard, Wisconsin, the Board Chair for WLSSD, and the Board Chair of the City of Duluth’s Public Utilities Commission.

Rob is survived by his wife, Sue, who he married on July 16, 1977. He is also survived by his children: Kelly (Michael) Pufall of Suamico, WI, Ryan (Anna) Prusak of Superior, WI, and Kari (Per) Batdorf of Milton WI, and grandchildren: Jonathan (18), and Nicholas (16) Pufall; Cora (9), Odin (7), and Ingrid (4) Batdorf. He is further survived by brothers Tom (Martha) of Brainerd, MN,  David of Fairbanks, Alaska, and Mary Bretto Prusak of Side Lake, MN; in laws Jim (Kathy) Svendsen, Jeanne (Doug) McIlavy, and Julie (Rick) Gebhardt, many nieces, nephews, and life-long friends.

He is preceded in death by his parents, his brother Mike Prusak, nephew Joe Prusak, and niece Nicole Gebhardt.

The family would like to thank Dr. Timothy Lamaster and the staff at PS Rudie, Dr. Roberto Fernandez, Lainee Hoffman, the staff at St. Luke’s Regional Cancer Center, and the staff on 2W Oncology and 6ICU at St. Lukes.

A funeral service will be held on Saturday, May 20 at 12:30 p.m. with visitation one hour prior to the service, at First Lutheran Church on 1100 E Superior Street, Duluth. A luncheon will follow. Memorials preferred.