Obituary for Robert Jackson Willard
WILLARD
Robert J. Willard, long-time resident of Richfield MN, age 91, passed away on November 12, 2020. Born March 21, 1929 in Brockton MA, he was the only child of Charles E. and Marjorie C. Willard. Charles was a prominent entrepreneur in the New England shoe industry well before and after WWII, and until he retired was president of the American Shoe Shank Company, Avon MA which he founded in 1938. Marjorie was a well-known artist and antique collector, particularly in the 1940’s and 1950’s. Robert attended Howard Grade School for Boys (now part of the Northfield-Mount Hermon Schools) just after WWII. He attended the College of Liberal Arts (now the College of Arts and Sciences) at Boston University, and graduated with a bachelor’s degree in geology/chemistry. During summers of his college years, he worked on the Trail Crew of the Appalachian Mountain Club in the mountains of northern New England. He entered the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences at Boston University, earning a Master’s degree in geology. While attending graduate school, he was drafted into the U.S. Army, and assigned to the 2nd Infantry division at Fort Lewis WA during the Korean War. It was near the end of his tour of duty that he married Emma Raad of Brooklyn NY. After the war he returned to Graduate School at BU where he earned a Ph. D in geology with help from the GI bill. Later on, he was employed as an instructor in geology at Wellesley College (MA), and then joined the faculty of the U. of Arkansas-Fayetteville as an Asst. Prof. of geology where he taught until the early 1960’s. During that period, he was named the official representative of Boston University at the installation of David Mullins, then 14th President of the University of Arkansas. In the early 1960’s, he joined the US Bureau of Mines as a research geologist at its research center in Fort Snelling MN, later becoming a staff scientist until his retirement in late 1995. He was formerly a licensed professional geologist in the state of MN, a current Senior Fellow in the Geological Society of America, a former Senior Professional Member in the Society of Mining Engineers, an elected member of the Collegium of Distinguished Alumni at Boston University, and a member of several other scientific societies. Over the years, he published numerous scientific articles in geology, mineralogy, and rock physics. While in graduate school, he completed geologic study in the remote Kennebago Lake area of northwestern ME, and while at the U of AR he completed a detailed re-examination of the geology in the White River watershed in northwest AR (now the Beaver Lake area). He was a lifetime member of the Willard Family Assoc., a 25-year member of the Minnesota Valley Country Club, and a member of the Appalachian Mountain Club Trail Crew Assoc. In his 80th year, he received a commendation in the form of birthday greetings from President Obama: “On behalf of a grateful nation, I thank you for your service and your invaluable contributions to preserving, protecting, and defending the United States of America.” Until recently, his retirement time was divided between his winter residence in FL and his home in MN. He is preceded in death by his son David. He is survived by his wife, Emma; a daughter Barbara Foster and her husband Rod of Bloomington MN, Tess Foster, Rick Foster, and in-law relatives including nieces/nephews in FL, IA, NH, NY and VT. He would like to be remembered as a dedicated father, as one who considered that charity begins at home, who avoided popular fads, who adhered to traditional culture and American values, who was proud of his English/European heritage, who believed strongly in the primacy of meritocracy and the right to associate with whom he chose, who did not like to waste words, who realized that many modern social changes fix what is not really broken, and who had a passion for the importance of rational thought, persistence and hard work. Celebration of Life will be at a later date due to COVID-19. Internment is in the family lot at Melrose Cemetery in Brockton MA.
Memorials may be made to the donor of choice.
www.GILLBROTHERS.com
Robert J. Willard, long-time resident of Richfield MN, age 91, passed away on November 12, 2020. Born March 21, 1929 in Brockton MA, he was the only child of Charles E. and Marjorie C. Willard. Charles was a prominent entrepreneur in the New England shoe industry well before and after WWII, and until he retired was president of the American Shoe Shank Company, Avon MA which he founded in 1938. Marjorie was a well-known artist and antique collector, particularly in the 1940’s and 1950’s. Robert attended Howard Grade School for Boys (now part of the Northfield-Mount Hermon Schools) just after WWII. He attended the College of Liberal Arts (now the College of Arts and Sciences) at Boston University, and graduated with a bachelor’s degree in geology/chemistry. During summers of his college years, he worked on the Trail Crew of the Appalachian Mountain Club in the mountains of northern New England. He entered the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences at Boston University, earning a Master’s degree in geology. While attending graduate school, he was drafted into the U.S. Army, and assigned to the 2nd Infantry division at Fort Lewis WA during the Korean War. It was near the end of his tour of duty that he married Emma Raad of Brooklyn NY. After the war he returned to Graduate School at BU where he earned a Ph. D in geology with help from the GI bill. Later on, he was employed as an instructor in geology at Wellesley College (MA), and then joined the faculty of the U. of Arkansas-Fayetteville as an Asst. Prof. of geology where he taught until the early 1960’s. During that period, he was named the official representative of Boston University at the installation of David Mullins, then 14th President of the University of Arkansas. In the early 1960’s, he joined the US Bureau of Mines as a research geologist at its research center in Fort Snelling MN, later becoming a staff scientist until his retirement in late 1995. He was formerly a licensed professional geologist in the state of MN, a current Senior Fellow in the Geological Society of America, a former Senior Professional Member in the Society of Mining Engineers, an elected member of the Collegium of Distinguished Alumni at Boston University, and a member of several other scientific societies. Over the years, he published numerous scientific articles in geology, mineralogy, and rock physics. While in graduate school, he completed geologic study in the remote Kennebago Lake area of northwestern ME, and while at the U of AR he completed a detailed re-examination of the geology in the White River watershed in northwest AR (now the Beaver Lake area). He was a lifetime member of the Willard Family Assoc., a 25-year member of the Minnesota Valley Country Club, and a member of the Appalachian Mountain Club Trail Crew Assoc. In his 80th year, he received a commendation in the form of birthday greetings from President Obama: “On behalf of a grateful nation, I thank you for your service and your invaluable contributions to preserving, protecting, and defending the United States of America.” Until recently, his retirement time was divided between his winter residence in FL and his home in MN. He is preceded in death by his son David. He is survived by his wife, Emma; a daughter Barbara Foster and her husband Rod of Bloomington MN, Tess Foster, Rick Foster, and in-law relatives including nieces/nephews in FL, IA, NH, NY and VT. He would like to be remembered as a dedicated father, as one who considered that charity begins at home, who avoided popular fads, who adhered to traditional culture and American values, who was proud of his English/European heritage, who believed strongly in the primacy of meritocracy and the right to associate with whom he chose, who did not like to waste words, who realized that many modern social changes fix what is not really broken, and who had a passion for the importance of rational thought, persistence and hard work. Celebration of Life will be at a later date due to COVID-19. Internment is in the family lot at Melrose Cemetery in Brockton MA.
Memorials may be made to the donor of choice.
www.GILLBROTHERS.com