 Born to Carl & Vera Luer, he was raised in Alton, Illinois and later attended Washington University, St. Louis School of Medicine, graduating in 1946.From there he went on to be a surgeon in Sarasota, Florida and upon retirement in 1975 took up the study and botanical illustration of Orchids.He aided in the foundation of the Marie Selby Botanical Gardens and was the first editor of their research journal "Selbyana".