Memorial services for Robert S. Sexauer, Brookings, will be held June 10 at 3 p.m. at the First Lutheran Church in Brookings. A memorial service was also held May 9 in Litchfield Park, AZ, where the Sexauers maintained a winter home. Surrounded by his family, Sexauer, 85, died peacefully April 16 at St. Josephs Hospital in Phoenix following a short illness. Born Feb. 5, 1923, in Brookings to Cecile (Welch) and Elmer H. Sexauer, Robert was the third generation of the family who built The Sexauer Company into a multi-state feed and seed business. As a youngster, he vacationed at the newly built Game Lodge in Custer State Park, getting to see the early work on Mt. Rushmore and even taking part in buffalo roundups in the park. He attended public schools in Brookings, graduating from Brookings High School in 1941. His college career at Iowa State University was interrupted by a tour of duty with the U.S. Air Force, during which he served in the Marianna Islands, South Pacific, during WWII. Following his service, he returned to school and graduated in 1948 with a bachelors degree in industrial economics with minors in general engineering and psychology. He returned to Brookings to work in the family business, but was called back to military service during the Korean War. He married Jacqualine Nerison Cross of Sioux Falls in 1952. They celebrated their 56th anniversary in March. He succeeded his father as president of The Sexauer Company in 1953. Sexauer was multi-talented and had many interests such as photography, travel, golf, fishing, and hunting. In recent years, he also enjoyed sharing humor and wisdom with friends and family via email. His lifes passion, however, was flying. He earned his instrument rating almost 50 years ago and had already logged over 10,000 hours of flying time, both in single and twin engine aircraft, midway through his flying years. He also devoted many hours to business, social, and community activities. These included President of the Farm Seed Research Corporation, President of the South Dakota Seed Trade Association, President of the Northern Seedsmens Association, President of the Western Seedsmens Association, Chairman of the Farm Seed Division of American Seed Trade Association, President of Field Seed Institute of North America, District Director of the South Dakota Reclamation and Water Development Association, Chairman of the Agriculture Committee of the Greater South Dakota Association, District Director of the Greater South Dakota Association, Executive Committee of the Minn-Ia-Kota Girl Scout Council, Chairman of the Evening of the Arts at SDSU, Chairman of the Brookings Airport Board, Director of the Brookings Chamber of Commerce, President of Brookings United Charities and Chairman of its Fund Drive, and local chairman of Ducks Unlimited. He was also a member of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, American Legion, Elks, Brookings Masonic Lodge, El Riad Shrine, Brookings Country Club, Minnehaha Country Club (Sioux Falls), and Wigwam Country Club (Arizona). Sexauer was preceded in death by his sister Dorothy in 1966, his mother in 1973, and his father in 1980. He is survived by his widow Jacqualine of Brookings and Phoenix; sons, Tom (Sonna) Sexauer of St. Petersburg, FL, and Robb Sexauer of Brookings; daughter, Barbara (Sheldon) Richardson of Scottsdale, AZ; extended family member Dorothea Edgington of Custer; seven grandchildren; and four great-grandchildren. Memorials may be directed to the Shriners Hospital for Children or the South Dakota State University band program.