MARSHALL — There were a lot of different ways that Gregory “Greg” Cattoor took an active role in the Marshall community, local residents said. In addition to being a business owner, Cattoor took part in city government, worked to support industry and development in Marshall, supported higher education, and more, Marshall Mayor Bob Byrnes said.

“He really was a good person for Marshall,” Byrnes said this week.

Cattoor, a former Marshall resident, died Dec. 23 at the Lakeview Hospital in Stillwater. He was 83.

Cattoor was born in Marshall in 1942, and graduated from Central Catholic High School in Marshall. After graduating from the University of St. Thomas in 1964, Greg returned to Marshall and operated Cattoor Oil Company together with his brother Tom. Greg would go on to serve as president of the Minnesota Petroleum Marketers, and as chair of the Minnesota Petroleum Tank Release Compensation board.

Over the course of his life, Cattoor served in a variety of local leadership roles. He served as president of the Marshall Area Chamber of Commerce and the Marshall Industries Foundation, and as chairman of the Marshall Economic Development Authority. Cattoor also took part in city government, serving as a Marshall City Council member.

“Greg was actually the reason I (first) ran for mayor,” Byrnes said. In 1992, former Marshall Mayor John Feda had announced he wasn’t going to run again. Then, Byrnes received a phone call at the Extension service office where he was working in Ivanhoe.

“Greg called up and asked if I would consider running,” Byrnes said. “He was very convincing and very matter-of-fact.”

Byrnes said Cattoor was always a straightforward person, even when he didn’t agree with you. He also had a wide range of interests, and areas where he was active in the community.

“He was really a well-rounded businessperson,” Byrnes said. Cattoor’s work with the Marshall Area Chamber’s industrial development committee was also important to Marshall, Byrnes said.

Cattoor also served as a board member of Bremer Financial Trust for 18 years. He was a charter board member of the Marshall Area YMCA, and helped lead the organization’s first fund drive.

Cattoor was also a staunch supporter of Southwest Minnesota State University. He joined the SMSU Foundation board in 1982, and served as president in 1986-87, said Nathan Polfliet, associate vice president for advancement at SMSU.

“He did a lot of great work for Southwest,” Polfliet said. One example came in 1985, when Cattoor helped make possible a matching gift program to support scholarships for students from farming families. A photo in the university archives showed university president Robert Carothers and Cattoor with Marvin Schwan, as Schwan presented a $20,000 contribution to the matching program.

Polfliet said Cattoor was also honored with a lifetime membership award by the university alumni association in 1988.

Faith was another important part of Cattoor’s life. He served as a parish trustee at Holy Redeemer Catholic Church for 18 years, served on the church’s administrative board, and also served in other church roles like being a lector and eucharistic minister.

“He was very much a pillar of the community,” said Rev. Paul Wolf, former pastor at Holy Redeemer. Wolf said Cattoor played an important role in a church capital campaign and remodel.

Cattoor was personable, and humble in how he showed leadership, Wolf said. “He didn’t necessarily want to have the limelight,” Wolf said. At the same time, Cattoor had a good “command presence” in how he interacted with others, said Quentin Brunsvold, who served as Holy Redeemer parish administrator from 2015 to 2020.

“He was authoritative, but respectful in how he spoke,” Brunsvold said of Cattoor.

Brunsvold said Cattoor was a source of knowledge about the parish, and the Campus Religious Center at SMSU. Another important part of Cattoor’s work with the church was serving in the choir at funerals. There too, he was a strong presence. Brunsvold recalled sometimes being asked to sing a solo at a church service. At those times, he said, “Greg was very encouraging.”

“It’s a huge loss now that he’s gone,” Brunsvold said of Cattoor.