A professor who taught for more than 50 years at St. Cloud State University recently passed away. Psychology professor Jerry Mertens died on January 11, he taught at the university for 53 years.

One of his colleagues Leslie Valdes said in a campus email that Professor Mertens never took a sick day, and he recently retired. This spring semester was the first time he had not been teaching or working for the university.

Mertens wrote is own obituary in the St. Clout Times, and requested he be remembered by "working hard to help other life the best life possible, doing an act of kindness in my memory or a memorial donation of time or money to a good cause of your choosing."

He is being remembered fondly by colleagues.