Don McGuire led Dakota County schools

Superintendent Don McGuire helped build the Lakeville School District and its sports program for 22 years. By 1982, when he left that job to run Dakota County Technical College, enrollment in the district had tripled to more than 3,000 students. He went on to run the Technical College for seven years until he retired.

After he left, McGuire Middle School was named for him. He was active in many Lakeville groups and committees, including the Lakeville Lions, where he was active 52 years, many as a leader.

"I called him Mr. Lakeville," said Bob Boeckman, a friend since high school days and a former superintendent in neighboring Farmington. "He was a true gentleman. He had no ill words for anybody and was always cheerful, an absolutely loyal and trusted friend."

McGuire, 82, died Tuesday of complications from a stroke at a hospice in Elko.

Patrick McGuire said that although his father was always busy, "he made time for everybody, no matter what your walk in life, but especially for family." His dad also was active at All Saints Catholic Church in Lakeville and a member of the VFW and Chamber of Commerce, he said.

When Bob Erickson became Lakeville's administrator in 1989, McGuire "gave me invaluable perspective on the community," he said. "He has given so much back to the community, not just as superintendent, but after he retired. He stood out as a leader and led with great humility."

Erickson said McGuire also pushed for more school sports and helped bring hockey, swimming, skiing, gymnastics and cross-country running to the district.

"He was a friendly, open, honest guy," said Zaun. He said when the City Council needed information it often turned to McGuire, who had a great institutional memory and knew many resource people.

McGuire knew what other metro districts were doing and was very open to discussing new ideas at school board meetings, Zaun said. He said parents and teachers didn't always agree with McGuire, but they respected his decisions.

McGuire was named to Lakeview North High School's Hall of Fame for helping set up the Missota sports conference in the 1960s for southern-tier schools and bringing new sports to Lakeville schools, his son said.

He grew up in Henderson, in southern Minnesota. He was a math teacher in New Richland, Minn., and Roseville before becoming Lakeville High's principal in 1958. Two years later he became superintendent and held that post until 1982, when he moved to the technical institute.

In 1989, McGuire told the Star Tribune that a major educational change he worked on was developing more diverse, postsecondary vocational curriculums at technical colleges to relieve individual school districts of that work.