Rob Frisby, a Minnesota State Patrol Trooper and U.S. Army veteran, died on August 12, 2018 at his home in Andover, Minnesota. He was 51.

Rob was diagnosed with a soft tissue sarcoma and stage four cancer in February, 2017, leading to his retirement from the State Patrol earlier this year. He fought hard against the disease through various surgeries and treatments, before passing away peacefully, with family by his side.

During his twenty-seven years as a State Trooper, Rob served in a variety of roles, most prominently as a drug detection dog handler in the Twin-Cities Metro area. He and his canine partner Nikki earned multiple awards for their work together, and Rob described his twelve years doing detection work with dogs as the most satisfying of his career.

In 2011 he was promoted to State Patrol Canine Unit Coordinator, a position he held through 2014, before voluntarily returning to "the road." He ended his law enforcement career assisting the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension in coordinating efforts between the BCA and the State Patrol in criminal interdiction and human trafficking cases.

Rob was also an instructor for the State Patrol, teaching courses in a wide variety of skills, including criminal interdiction, gang intelligence, and firearms, and earlier in his career was a member of the State Patrol Special Response Team. By the end of his career, he was known in law enforcement circles far beyond Minnesota, and admired by colleagues not only for his professional skill and knowledge, but for his good humor and unflagging commitment to being "one of the good guys." Countless Troopers across three decades looked to Rob as a friend and mentor.

Rob was born on July 28, 1967 in Ft. Ord, California, and grew up in the Rochester, Minnesota area where he graduated from Mayo High School and Rochester Community College. Rob started his law enforcement career in 1986 as a part-time deputy with the Olmsted County Sheriff's Office and jail monitor in the Olmsted County Jail. He enlisted in the U.S. Army in 1988 and was assigned to the 79th Military Police Company. In 1990 he was deployed to Saudi Arabia as part of Operation Desert Storm, where he assisted international forces in the liberation of Kuwait. He remained a Sergeant in the U.S. Army Reserve until his honorable discharge in 1995.

On July 28, 1994, Rob married the love of his life, Jennifer Mills. Their daughter Ellie was born in 1998. The three of them formed a tight family unit, and shared their home with many dogs and other animals over the years. Living in the same home in Andover throughout their marriage, they developed close and lasting relationships with many neighbors and friends.

Rob loved kayak fishing, hunting, gardening, camping, and visiting state and national parks. Family road trips were among his greatest joys. He is survived by his wife and daughter, by his parents Robert and Carol Frisby, by his sister Kristine Frisby, and by a large network of family—nieces, nephews, aunts, uncles, cousins, and in-laws—all of whom felt grateful to be part of Rob's life.

There will be a Celebration of Life wake at Thurston-DeShaw Funeral Homes,13817 Jay St. NW, Andover, MN 55304 on Friday, August 17 from 5-8 PM. The funeral will be at the Family of Christ Lutheran Church, 16450 Polk St. NE, Ham Lake, MN 55304 on Saturday, August 18 at 10:30 AM. In lieu of flowers, the family prefers Memorials to reininsarcoma.org or semperk9.org .
Thurston-DeShaw Funeral Home
Andover 763-767-7373
www.thurston-deshaw.com