Dr. Manfred D. Muenter

Dr. Manfred D. Muenter, 86, passed away peacefully on Feb. 12, 2021, in Phoenix surrounded by his family. Dr. Muenter was an exceptional man who lived an exceptional life. There are few people who have the honor of being a top world expert in their field. It is even more rare when that person’s work directly changes the medical world and improves and saves countless lives. Dr. Muenter was one of these rare people.

Dr. Muenter was born in Germany and received his M.D. degree from Berlin Freie Universitaet. He completed a neurology residency at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn. in 1967 and was subsequently appointed as Consultant in the Department of Neurology and the Section of Clinical Electroencephalography, achieving the rank of Professor of Neurology in 1990. Dr. Muenter developed a reputation as an outstanding clinical neurologist while conducting pioneering research in movement disorders. He made numerous contributions to understanding the epidemiology, natural history and therapeutics of disorders such as Parkinson’s disease and dystonia.

The results of his double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of oral levodopa for Parkinson’s disease, one of the first such trials, were published in 1970. Levodopa was the first effective treatment for Parkinson’s disease, and this work still serves as a template for treatment guidelines today.

When the Mayo Clinic expanded to Scottsdale in 1987, Dr. Muenter was a founding member of the Department of Neurology, serving as head of section from 1988 to 1993 and then as chair of the department from 1993 to 1995, when he retired. During this time, he was an important force behind the development of the current division of movement disorders.

Additionally, being a passionate advocate for academic practice, he envisioned an academic neurology department in a city without such a presence, and in carrying out this vision, Dr. Muenter leaves a legacy of academic mentorship and many students, residents, fellows, scientists, and physician colleagues who benefited from his leadership.

Dr. Muenter was appointed the Lee Silverman Professor of Parkinson’s Disease and Movement Disorders in 1990 and was awarded the American Parkinson Disease Association’s Fred Springer Award in 2001. He will continue to be remembered in the form of the Manfred D. Muenter Award, which the Mayo Clinic Arizona Department of Neurology bestows on the outstanding resident in the graduating residency class each year.

He will be remembered by many for his great contributions to medicine. However, he prioritized his family, and there was much more to the gentleman, Dr. Manfred “Papi” “Nani” Muenter. A lover of flying, Manfred was an amateur pilot. His eyes were often gazing upward toward the planes passing overhead. He loved nature and wildlife, and particularly enjoyed watching birds flock to his many feeders. He planted hundreds of trees on his tree farm and enjoyed studying native plants and birds, carefully identifying each specimen. Harvesting wild watercress and morel mushrooms were adventures he regularly shared with his children, along with stargazing in cozy sleeping bags in the crisp Minnesota air.

Manfred enjoyed playing and watching tennis. He loved music, classical and jazz in particular, favoring the works of Chopin, Beethoven, and Dave Brubeck, and he was an excellent pianist. Lute and recorder playing were also frequently enjoyed. He loved to travel and experience cultures and cuisines from around the world. He always dressed smartly, regularly donning a bow tie in his last years at the Mayo Clinic.

Manfred was humble, strong, gentle, a great listener, and always chose his words thoughtfully. He never stopped learning and strove for excellence in all that he did. He conducted himself with honor and dignity and treated everyone with respect. He was a kind and compassionate doctor, a patient and inspiring teacher, a wonderful son and brother, and above all, a loving, dependable, and supportive father who meant the world to his children.

Dr. Manfred Muenter is survived by his four daughters, Svenja Muenter (with Ted Laska), Dr. Nicolette Muenter Swift (with Dr. Jon Swift Jr.), Natascha Muenter Weir (with Robert Weir), and Leilani Münter (with Craig Davidson); three granddaughters, Monet and Chloe Weir and Heather Muenter; sisters, Maren Zincke and Harriet Schneider (with Jürgen Schneider); and sister-in-law, Gerda Münter. He was preceded in death by his parents, Dr. Ernst and Emma Münter; brothers, Thomas and Norman Münter; sister-in-law, Jutta “Susi” Münter; and brother-in-law, Dr. Horst Zincke.

In lieu of flowers, Dr. Muenter requested memorial gifts be designated to Parkinson’s Disease Research at Mayo Clinic. Donations can be made by phone (855-852-8129), online (philanthropy.mayoclinic.org/donatemc), or by mail (Mayo Clinic, Department of Development, 200 First Street SW, Rochester, MN 55905). Please indicate that the gift is in tribute/memory of Dr. Manfred D. Muenter and is designated for Parkinson’s Disease Research.

The family would like to thank his many caregivers, especially the staff at Acacia Health Center, Nightingale Homecare, and the Mayo Clinic, for their loving care of Dr. Muenter in his last years; in particular Dr. Richard Caselli, Mayo Clinic Department of Neurology, former student and colleague of Dr. Muenter, who wrote of him, “He was a happy man with a positive attitude that seemed unfaltering, and it set a model for us all in how we treated one another as well as how we dealt with adversity in all its forms.”

Due to the COVID pandemic, no public service will be held at this time. When family, friends, and colleagues can safely gather, the family will plan a celebration of Dr. Muenter’s life.