On August 13 at 11:00 a.m., a Leopold Bench was dedicated to the South Bend Audubon Society in memory of Dr. Albert K. Wimmer. The bench dedication was made possible through donations from his former students of the 1979-80 University of Notre Dame and St. Mary’s College study-abroad program in Innsbruck, Austria.
Dr. Wimmer, a native of Altötting, Germany, was a professor at Notre Dame for over five decades. As the director of the Innsbruck program, he played the roles of administrator, mentor, and father figure to more than 40 students. His passion for teaching was ignited by the philosopher Martin Heidegger, whose lectures he attended while studying at the University of Munich. He incorporated Greek and Latin into his German classes and was a Fellow at both Notre Dame’s Medieval Institute and the Nanovic Institute for European Studies. Beyond academia, Wimmer was an avid reader, a skilled sailor, and an enthusiastic bird watcher, often spending his free time at Lake Wawasee.
In recognition of his intelligence and kindness, his students raised funds to honor his memory by supporting the Audubon Society, a fitting tribute to his love for nature. Dr. Wimmer is survived by his wife, Susan, his sons Steve and Marc, stepdaughter Tina Kardomateas, and four grandchildren. (Scheiber, Matt. "Remembering Dr. Albert K. Wimmer." Audubon Leaves, vol. 76, no. 5, Summer 2024.)