Minneapolis Uptown Rotary lost a beloved member of the club when Burt Grossman passed away on February 26, 2015. For many years Burt was the driving force behind Uptown's volunteer efforts at the Joyce Uptown Food Shelf. He was a fixture there each week, opening the doors to the "working poor" during the early evening hours. Always with a gleam in his eye, Burt delighted in interacting with the food shelf guests, spinning a mixture of sarcasm and sweet and inevitably forming a bond with the many repeat clients of the food shelf. His volunteer efforts were only part of the story, however, as each year Burt somehow managed to raise staggering amounts of money for Joyce Uptown Food Shelf. He also spurred many of Uptown's members to raise funds, delivering an annual pep talk as we embarked on our fundraising efforts (you've got to ask! he would implore). To work the Food Shelf with Burt was an experience as any downtime allowed Burt to dip into his deep reservoir of stories from his globetrotting and incredible life experiences. His intelligence and warmth poured out in these moments and he always was genuinely interested in hearing about your life as well. Burt will be sorely missed, but forever remembered at Uptown Rotary, particularly on those Thursday nights at the Food Shelf, where his presence can still be felt. 
 
http://www.startribune.com/obituaries/detail/69651/?fullname=burton-d-grossman