Excelsior, MN - The world lost a brilliant mind and beautiful heart with the passing of Robert W. Fayfield, who died peacefully New Year's Day, 2026 at his childhood home on Christmas Lake. He was 85 years old.

Bob was widely revered for his entrepreneurial success, his intellect and his generosity. But most significantly, he was admired and loved for his humble spirit, non-judgmental nature, and unwavering kindness to others. He was an extraordinary husband, father, grandfather and brother, and he defined what it means to be a good human.

Born May 29, 1940, Bob attended elementary and middle school in Excelsior. It was there, at age eight, that he made one of the most important discoveries of his life. While looking through lenses in science class, Bob realized he could see clearly for the first time, effectively self-diagnosing his need for glasses. Lenses would later become the foundation of his entire business enterprise. He enrolled at Shattuck-St. Mary's military school, and later attended Williams College and the University of Minnesota. In 1964, he married his fifth-grade sweetheart, Mary - his adventurous counterpart of 70 years. They balanced each other perfectly.

In 1966, at age 26, Bob founded Banner Engineering from his garage, bootstrapping his startup from the outset. The company grew to become the largest photoelectric manufacturer in America, and in 1998 Bob was named the National Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of The Year. Today, Banner's global footprint includes a team of more than 5,500 worldwide, with 30 offices on five continents. The Fayfield family continues to actively run the business.

Bob was a brilliant engineer and product designer, but more importantly, he was an inspiring leader who cared deeply about people. He loved nothing more than empowering others to reach their full potential. In business, as in his personal life, Bob demanded the highest standards of honor, ethics and morality from himself and from everyone with whom he worked. He was admired and respected by his employees, and his business colleagues and friends around the world.

Ever generous, Bob was passionate about promoting technical education and creating new opportunities in science, technology, engineering and math - long before the STEM acronym became commonplace. To that end, he supported numerous educational institutions, creating the Banner Technology Center at Benilde-St. Margaret's, various programs at Dunwoody College of Technology, and Fayfield Hall, a state-of-the-art STEM learning center at Shattuck-St. Mary's. Yet it was the small, private gifts Bob quietly made that touched so many lives in ways only their recipients can truly appreciate.

Music was also a passion of Bob's, and he was an accomplished pianist and guitarist who could pick the blues with the best of them. Always up for an adventure, Bob was an avid scuba diver, hang glider, water skier and sports-car enthusiast. But his greatest love above all else, was his family.

Bob was preceded in death by his wife Mary. He is survived by children Robert T. Fayfield (Jeanne), Molly F. Erdahl (Lars), Bradford W. Fayfield (Deirdre), his 9 beloved grandchildren, his sister Marsha Walch, and his sister-in-law Phoebe Ruona. A memorial service will be planned at a later date.