Eldon A. Behr was born July 29, 1918, in Minneapolis to Elsie and Christian Behr. He attended the public schools and was valedictorian of his class at South High in January, 1936. He earned a B.S. in Forestry with honors from the University of Minnesota in 1940.

During World War II he served in the United States Navy at the Bureau of Ships in Washington, D.C. Following his honorable discharge from the Navy, he returned to the University of Minnesota and completed a PhD in biochemistry in 1948.

Dr. Behr moved to Memphis, Tenn., where he worked for the Chapman Chemical Company and was named Vice President of Research. He held several patents in the fields of wood preservation and termite control. While in Memphis, he met and married his wife Bernice Triplett in 1950.
In 1958, he became a professor in the Department of Forest Products at Michigan State University, East Lansing, where he taught until his retirement in 1983. At that time, he was the acting Chairman of the Department of Forestry.

Following retirement, Dr. Behr and his wife lived in Anderson, S.C., and Memphis, Tenn., where they were avid rail fans and enjoyed many trips on steam locomotive trains. Following Bernice’s death, Eldon moved to Northfield, Minn., in 1995.

Eldon was a man of many interests. He especially loved cats, trains, horse racing, baseball, opera, stamp collecting and travel. He was a member of patriotic, service and historical organizations including the Navy League, Naval Sea Cadet Corps, Military Order of the World Wars, American Philatelic Society, National Railway Historical Society, Milwaukee Road Historical Association, and the Great Northern Railway Historical Society. An active scholar, he was the recipient of many professional awards and memberships and authored numerous scientific papers and several books.

Eldon was a member of the Episcopal Church, most recently of All Saints Church in Northfield.  He was preceded in death by his parents, his wife Bernice, and his brother Dr. Lyell Behr. He is survived by sons Stephen (Mary), Mesa, Az.; Carl (Joan), Northfield; grandsons Christian, Nicholas and Charles; and three great-grandchildren.

A memorial service will be held at All Saints Episcopal Church at 2:00PM on Saturday, February 25. Private internment will be at Fort Snelling National Cemetery in St. Paul, Minn.

Memorials may be directed to All Saints Episcopal Church or Best Friends Animal Society, Kanab, Utah.

Arrangements are with Benson & Langehough Funeral Home.