John Helmer Nilson

John Helmer Nilson

He passed away on September 26, 2023, following a tragic accident in Sardinia on a trip with his wife Mary Hunzicker Dunn. John was born in Mankato, MN, July 12, 1950. John grew up in Albuquerque, NM, where he made many lifelong friends and shared many adventures from first through 12th grades, culminating his public school education as President of his senior class at Del Norte High School in 1968. He went to the University of Tulsa and then earned a PhD from University of New Mexico. During his postdoctoral years at Michigan State University, he worked on mRNA and was the first to clone the prolactin gene. John joined the faculty of Case Western Reserve University in 1980 and rose through the ranks, becoming Chair of the Department of Pharmacology, Director of the MD/PhD Program, Editor-in-Chief of Molecular Endocrinology, and Vice President for Basic Science of the Endocrine Society. John and his students also cloned the genes that produce luteinizing hormone and masterfully created a number of transgenic mice that led to a deep understanding of the genetic and hormonal underpinnings of male and female reproduction. In 2003, he was recruited to Washington State University as the Director of the School of Molecular Biosciences and served as President of the Society for the Study of Reproduction. During his career, John published over 100 peer-reviewed papers in prestigious journals and book chapters with his numerous trainees. John was most proud of the more than 30 PhD, MD, and MD/PhD students that he mentored to successful careers in academia, biotechnology, medicine, and government. John was known for his patience, humor, exuberance, curiosity, kindness, honesty, support of the under-dog, ability to listen, empathy, and intelligence. Former students noted that John was a wonderful role model and emphasized critical thinking, writing, leadership, and ethics. John played competitive handball, loved fly fishing, was an avid golfer, and treasured driving cross-country, especially with his cherished wife Mary always sitting by his side, joyfully pulling their AirStreams through the US and Canada. John highly valued all of his many friendships, some even from grammar school. John was also an avid reader and remembered most titles and themes of all the books he read, and he loved music. John always loved Northern New Mexico, thus when he and Mary retired from Washington State University, they relocated to Taos, NM, in 2016. A colleague at Washington State University introduced John to the concept of "embracing irrelevance" with retirement; John wholeheartedly succeeded in this goal. John is leaving behind his wife Mary of 16 years; his daughter Mary Kathleen, her husband Ira Whitten, and their three children Rylie Grace, Liam Quinn, and Finn Rory; his son Adam Thord Nilson; former wife and mother of his 2 children Sharon McNeil; his brother Tom Nilson; and his uncle Ron Nilson. John's daughter wrote that she witnessed her Dad sharing others sorrows and joys, elevating others, and being truly happy for others. He LIVED and appreciated every moment of his life. John often noted Henry David Thoreau's quote that most "..lead lives of quiet desperation" and strived to find fulfillment in all he did. While John will always be remembered for his mentorship, his children and grandchildren cherish his sharing of stories, playfulness, music, pun-making and willingness to entertain and be fully engrossed in their interests and pursuits, while encouraging a lifetime of learning. John was a beloved father and grandfather, husband, and a friend to all who met him. The world has lost a very special man. There will be a celebration of John's life in July of 2024 in Taos, NM.