Maple Grove Mourns Loss of First Mayor, Influential Leader

Described as an inspiring leader, a caring friend and one of the "founding fathers of Maple Grove," residents and city officials are mourning the loss of former mayor Richard H. "Dick" Reimer.

Reimer, who served as mayor of Maple Grove from 1965-1980, passed away on May 25 at age 89.

Council member Karen Jaeger remembers a man who was an advocate for his city and his people, rather than for himself, and was dedicated to seeing Maple Grove grow and prosper. Reimer, she said, oversaw much of the city's early planning.

"He loved the city," Jaeger said. "Some people just have a sense of plan and he did, he just knew where things would go."

Council member LeAnn Sargent described Reimer as a class act who's going to be missed. "There's not many of them like that," Sargent said of his leadership. "I mean, he didn't have any ulterior motives."

Sargent said he is one of the city's founding fathers.

When Jaeger first ran for council, she remembers receiving a visit from Reimer.

"And he talked to me about what he foresaw the city to be and hoped I would also follow this," she said. "He was very encouraging, I'd never heard him say anything bad and if anyone knew him and knew his wife, they'd know what I'm saying."

She said whenever someone in Maple Grove ran for office, Reimer always invited them to put their campaign sign in his yard.

"He was a community man from the beginning to end," she said.

Sargent also remembers Reimer as a caring husband to his wife, Marilyn "Mitzi."

"How he treated Mitzi, they were so fun together and they enjoyed life," she said.

Both Jaeger and Sargent said he was a great musician, performing the drums in many parades around Osseo and Maple Grove with the Maple Grove Lions Club.

Reimer's former homestead, off of East Fish Lake Road, was purchased by Reimer when he moved to the area in 1950. It was sold to the Kozlak-Radulovich Funeral Chapels last year.

His visitation will be 2 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Thursday, June 2 at Kozlak-Radulovich Maple Grove Chapel with vigil prayers at 2:30 p.m., according to Kozlak-Radulovich Funeral Chapels. Mass of Christian Burial is scheduled for 10 a.m. Friday, June 3 at Vincent De Paul Catholic Church located at 9100 93rd Ave. N. in Brooklyn Park.

The chapel obituary states Reimer is survived by his wife Marilyn "Mitzi"; children, Laura (Lyle) Ranstrom, Dave (Sandy Kreatz) Reimer, Cathy (Dr. Chuck) Boback, Scott (Sue) Reimer, Mary Hall; nine grandchildren, five great-grandchildren and sister, Dorothy Bursch.