After ninety-one years of what he so often called a bloody blessed life, Robert Arthur Nilan passed away peacefully on October 7, 2015 in Pullman, Washington. He was surrounded by love, prayers, and beautiful harp music. Known to friends and colleagues as Barley Bob, he died to the strains of Fields of Gold. You'll remember me when the west wind moves upon the fields of barley.

Robert was born to Phyllis and Jack Nilan on December 26, 1923 in New Westminster, British Columbia. His early schooling in Burquitlam and New Westminster would launch a life long passion for education. Hiking and fishing with his father in the Canadian wilderness would inspire a love for the natural world and plant sciences. From the University of British Columbia in Vancouver he earned a Bachelors Degree in General Studies in 1944 and a Masters Degree in Plant Science in 1946. From the University of Wisconsin in Madison he received a PhD in Genetics in 1951.

While at UBC he met the love of his life, Winona Ross. They were married in Victoria, BC in 1948 and after their time in Madison they moved to Pullman for what they thought would be a short couple of years. When Bob arrived at what was then Washington State College, his focus was corn genetics. But he was soon counseled to work with the crops of the Palouse hills and that counsel would launch both a life long passion for barley and a career at Washington State University.

As Robert turned his attention to the propagation of better strains of barley, he and Winona turned their attention to the propagation of a family. Judith was born in 1951, Gregory in 1954, and Patricia in 1964. The family would grow to include five grandchildren and one great grandson. One of the last phone calls he received before he died was to tell him of a second great grandchild.

Robert worked with colleagues around the globe to create a world renowned program in barley breeding and genetics. This program took him to barley research centers on every continent and afforded him and the family sabbaticals in Italy, Sweden, Denmark, and England. During his career he authored two books, published over 100 scientific research articles, and trained sixty students for their Masters and PhD degrees.

Dr. Nilan helped create the Genetics Department and served as department Chair for nine years. In 1979 he was appointed Dean of the College of Science, a position he held for twelve years until his retirement in 1992. During his years in the 'deanery' as he lovingly called it, Nilan oversaw the development of numerous programs, including statistics, environmental sciences and regional planning, zoophysiology, and plant physiology. He also supported the development of two essential and widely-used Laboratories of Bioanalysis and Biotechnology, the Electron Microscopy Center, and the Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Center.

During his long and distinguished career he won several awards and honors, including appointment to the Danish Academy of Science, the Nilan Distinguished Professorship in Barley Research and Education, the Washington State University Foundation Outstanding Service Award, the College of Sciences Legacy of Excellence Award, and most recently the establishment of the Robert A. Nilan Endowed Chair. One of his proudest career accomplishments was being a founding member of the International Barley Genetics Symposium. As he said of his beloved WSU, I can think of no other institution where I would have had such a rewarding and satisfying career.

Beyond his extensive academic and research contributions, he and Win were significant financial benefactors to the University, Pullman Regional Hospital, and WSU Museum of Art.

In 2007 he lost Winona, his wonderful wife of 59 years. He would later spend several happy years with long time friend Betty Clark. At the end of his life he was so very ready to make the journey home to be with Winona and thrived to the end in the care of Rob Mutisya. As people travel the journey of dementia they often express an essential nature. Family, friends, and caregivers will attest that Bob's essential nature was love.

Nilan is survived by children Judith Nilan (Dennis Crowley), Gregory Nilan (Kate Bohn-Nilan & Laura Costadone), Patricia Nilan, and grandchildren Nicholas Nilan, Sydney Nilan, Brendan Lutes, Jaimi Lutes, and Jordan Lutes, and great-grandson Braxton Nilan. He will be deeply missed by Betty Clark, the Clark family and so many, many other friends and colleagues.

A celebration of Bob, his life, and the family, colleagues, community, and University he so dearly loved will be held on Saturday, January 23, 2016 at 2:00 PM in Ensminger Pavilion on the WSU campus. In honor of Dr. Nilan, donations can be made to the Pullman Regional Hospital Foundation (840 SE Bishop Blvd., Suite 200, Pullman, WA 99163), or the Robert A. Nilan Endowed Chair through the WSU Foundation (P.O. Box 646228, Pullman, WA 99164-6228)

Kimball Funeral Home & Crematory of Pullman has been entrusted with funeral arrangements.