Dr. Robert O. Nesheim

Dr. Robert O. Nesheim A research and development executive in the food industry died Saturday, July 19 at his home in Monterey, CA, after a long illness. He was 86. He was married to Professor Emerita Doris Calloway who spent 27 years at the College of Natural Resources, UC Berkeley. Before her death he made a major contribution to the College of Natural Resources to establish the Doris Calloway Faculty Chair in Human Nutrition in her honor. Together they were partners in the science and practice of nutrition. He maintained a strong interest in nutrition science until his death. Nesheim was known nationally for bringing scientific approaches to the field of nutrition to his many roles in industry, academia and government. Dr. Kenneth Fisher, a senior scientific consultant at the National Institutes of Health said that Nesheim, his long-time colleague, "was one of the movers and shakers that brought nutrition into the 20th and 21st centuries because of his influence on those around him." In private industry, Nesheim was vice president of Research and Development and later for Science and Technology, for the Quaker Oats Company; he retired from Quaker Oats in 1983 after 30 years of service. Before his retirement in 1992, he was vice president of Science and Technology and president of the Advanced HealthCare Division of Avadyne, Inc. Nesheim's academic appointments included professor and head of the Department of Animal Science at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, lecturer at UC Berkeley, and visiting lecturer at the Department of Nutritional Sciences at UC Davis. During World War II, he served as a captain in the U.S. Army. Nesheim served on many scientific committees for over 35 years. Most notably, he chaired the Military Nutrition Committee for 16 years. Through his leadership the Committee set standards for water consumption by the soldiers and guidelines for evaluating body weight. Nesheim also served on committees for several federal agencies. He donated his time and expertise to many civic and nonprofit organizations. Nesheim was born in Illinois and grew up on a farm. He received his education at the University of Illinois including a B.S. in agriculture in 1943, an M.S. in animal science in 1950, and a Ph.D. in nutrition and animal science in 1951. His first marriage, to Emogene P. Nesheim, ended in divorce after 32 years. Nesheim is survived by two daughters, Barbara Mowry of Littleton, CO; Sandra Rankin of Danbury, CT. A third daughter, Susan Yost , preceded him in death. He is also survived by one stepdaughter, Candace Calloway Whiting of Seattle, WA; one stepson, David Calloway of San Pedro, CA; two brothers; Professor Emeritus Malden Nesheim, Ithaca, NY; O. Norman Nesheim of Gainesville, FL; four sisters, Martha Priegnitz of Algonquin, IL; Esther Weinrich of Sycamore, IL; Ruth Wakeland of Vero Beach, FL; and Elaine Musselman of Rochelle, IL; nine grandchildren; and one great-grandchild. A Memorial Service will be held at the Park Lane, 200 Glenwood Circle, Monterey, CA 93940 on August 16 at 3 p.m. The family requests that in lieu of flowers, donations be sent to Hospice of the Central Coast, in memory of Dr. Robert O. Nesheim, 2 Upper Ragsdale Drive, Suite D210, Monterey, CA 93940.