Rev. Robert J. Willmes S.J.

joined the school in 1965 and till 1973 never missed my family while i was at the hostel. he taught us what and how life has to be treated and the values of life.i deeply owe my success to fr willmes. would always have him very close to my heart.

My gratitude goes to Father Willmes and his team for my formative years from 1956 to 1967 and from time to time even after that

I knew him from January 1964 (when I joined Saint Xavier's as a tiny tot) till his death and spent numerous hours on the basball grounds, swimming pool as well as working alongside him both in school and later in the Alumni Office. He was gentle yet stern, cheerful but firm; a noble combination of an ascetic, a caring shepherd and a smiling philosopher.

Perhaps he was a Saint with a Camera since he went around shooting pictures with a piousness that is not visible in the material...

He was born on 9th December 1914 at New Port, Kentucky. In 1935 entered the Society of Jesus. Arrived in India in 1949. 1949-1950 studied Hindi at Gomoh in Bihar. 1952 arrived at St. Xavier School Jaipur. 1976-1982 Fr. Willmes was at St. Xavier, Delhi. 1983 onwards he continued to be at Jaipur.

He always took some very thrilling snaps before settling down as the referee of all the alumni baseball matches before the Poolside Parties and the AGM’s. Calling out a strike or a no ball...

I knew him for all my school life as a student in St, Xavier's Jaipur (1959 Senior Cambridge Batch) - and visited him several times afterwards. He was a meticulous person. I remember the many times he took the class photographs - especially the way he looked at all of us before the final click.

He demonstrated a life time of keeping a lid on day-to-day noise and of putting important things in life at the forefront of one's perspective. I was at St. Xavier's jaipur from 3rd to 11th standard and graduated in 1973.

I knew Father Willmes since 1964 to 2001. I last met him in 2001 when i had taken my family to see Jaipur and my school. He was a very kind and unassuming person. To me he was more like a 'father' as I was an orphan. His pasing away is a sad blow and a great loss to all who have known him. I shall always cherish his memeory. May God bless his soul alaways.

All through our lives Bob and I had kept in close contact; his life was always a constant inspiration for me, especially after he joined the Jesuit novitiate. After conmpleting his juniorate studies he volunteered to go to India as a missionary; his petition was accepted and the Provincial told him and two other of his companions to prepare to leave for India. A few days before the scheduled departure for India, the Provincial changed Bob's destination not to India but Rome to study...

God has taken home one of his finest of men and the most spiritual.
He was a kind and gentle soul and will be missed by all those who loved him.
I was blessed to have him be such a big part of my childhood.

Moe Connelly Taylor