Jeanne Marie Reuter Bloomquist

I SOUGHT MY SOUL,

BUT COULD NOT SEE.

I SOUGHT MY GOD,

BUT HE ELUDED ME.

I SOUGHT MY BROTHERS AND SISTERS

AND FOUND ALL THREE

With loved ones by her side, Jeanne Marie Reuter Bloomquist passed away peacefully at Methodist Hospital in the early hours of May 29th, 2026. She was 67 years old.

Jeanne was born on December 3rd, 1958, to Chuck and Fay Reuter and grew up in St. Louis Park, where she later settled with her husband, Mark, and where they raised their three children, Dana, Ted, and Martin.

Jeanne had a creative spirit, which she expressed in different ways throughout her life. Enrolling in Ms. Louise’s dance school at age 5 and continuing through high school, she was an accomplished and gleeful dancer. Her family will always remember her tap dancing in the kitchen, because she couldn’t resist the urge to join along any time she watched a musical. She reignited her passion for dance again later in life, becoming a “regular” at Danze Jam class. Jeanne also loved literature and writing. She was a published author, having published both poetry and short stories in her youth. This passion also led to Jeanne developing an almost scary level of speed reading, which she applied to her voracious appetite for books, especially fiction.

Animals and being in nature were lifelong grounding forces for Jeanne. She spent many hours at the Arboretum and Westwood Hills Nature Center, and possessed an encyclopedic knowledge of birds. At different points in her life, she cared for cats (including harboring a forbidden kitten in her dorm room), dogs, turtles and hedgehogs. If you were to give her a chinchilla, she would have found a way to care for it.

Jeanne’s signature enthusiastic and undeniably contagious laugh immediately brightened any room she was in. This made her a joy to attend any social event with, be it a concert, sporting event, or movie. You could count on Jeanne to get everyone laughing along (whether it was appropriate or not).

Her Danish in-laws lovingly call Jeanne their “livstykke”, an unusually vivacious, energetic, and positive person. Jeanne cared deeply and generously for the people in her life and was always concerned about making sure everyone felt welcome. She was the first person to share good news with, because she would be the most excited. She was also the first person to call if you were having a hard time, because no one was a better listener. The most remarkable part was how ready she always was - whatever you needed, whenever you needed it, she made herself available.

Jeanne’s real legacy is the way she modeled the power of chosen family, having the rare ability to turn the people around her into a community. She was especially active in Gamblers Anonymous (GA), spending nearly 30 years building deep connections with many, many people. As Jeanne learned and grew through her own recovery journey, she shared, listened, and facilitated a space for reflection and meaningful relationships. As a close friend from the community wrote, “I cannot overstate how much she meant to GA. Her work and service has impacted thousands.”

The trajectory of Jeanne’s life was changed by a serious recurrence of cancer a year before her passing. In spite - and because - of this change, Jeanne led with love and was a shining light to all around her, showing how to embrace life with authenticity and gratitude. Jeanne focused on spending the final year of her life deepening her connection to nature, spirituality, family, and her community—extra visits from her two grandchildren brought her particular joy, as did time spent with her ever widening circle of friends.

Despite the darkening political mood also developing during this time, Jeanne continued to find ways to help other people, participating in protests against ICE, who are still currently invading the streets and people’s homes. In a world increasingly consumed by hate, Jeanne chose love.

Jeanne is survived by her husband Mark, sons Ted and Martin, daughter Dana (Sille), two grandchildren Sixten and Owen, brother Mike (Candy), sister Nancy (Jim) and in-laws in Denmark, as well as the countless people who bore witness to life alongside her.

Jeanne is preceded in death by her parents, Chuck and Fay Reuter, and kindred spirit Bruce Fraser.

Jeanne and her family extend their deepest gratitude and admiration for oncologist Dr. Kathryn Moore and the team at Frauenshuh Cancer Center of Methodist Hospital, who provided excellent care over the course of nine years and who were always a source of clarity, dignity, and empathy.

Visitation at Gearty Delmore Park Chapel, 3960 Wooddale Ave S, St. Louis Park on Thursday, July 9, from 4 to 7 PM. Memorial service at Edina Community Lutheran Church, 4113 W. 54th Street, Minneapolis on Friday, July 10: visitation at 10 AM; service at 11 AM; and lunch to follow.