Robert William Kleis, 84, Lincoln, died Thursday, December 17, 2009. He was born November 30, 1925 on a farm in Martin, Michigan to Roy Harry and Marguerite Elizabeth (Monteith) Kleis and received his primary education in a one-room country school. He worked as a farm laborer, a farm machinery serviceman and a dairy herd improvement tester before entering the Army upon high school graduation during World War II.
Bob completed a B.S. and M.S. in Electrical and Agricultural Engineering at Michigan State College and a Ph.D. in Mathematics and Agricultural Engineering at Michigan State University. He had a long and successful career in agricultural research and university administration, first as Chairman of the Agricultural Engineering Department at the University of Massachusetts (1957-1966) and later assuming this same position at the University of Nebraska (1966-1968). Bob also served as Associate Director for the UNL Agricultural Experiment Station (1967-1983) and Executive Director for BIFAD, USAID, in Washington, D.C. (1985-87). At the time of his retirement in 1990, Bob was Executive Dean for International Programs at UNL. His international work took him to over 70 countries around the world where he was responsible for the design, implementation and evaluation of numerous agricultural research and development programs. Bob was the recipient of numerous honors and awards and published over 50 technical papers, 200 popular publications and magazine articles and four book chapters. Following his retirement, he worked as an international consultant in agriculture.
Bob was a member of St. Mark’s United Methodist Church, Farmhouse Fraternity, the Downtown Rotary Club and the Masonic Lodge and Sesostris Shrine. He was a board member of Self-Help International, instrumental in founding the Les Larson Tractor Test Museum at UNL and a volunteer for the TeamMates Mentoring Program.
He is survived by his wife of 60 years, Beatrice; two daughters and sons-in-law: Cinthia L. and Russell Johnson, Sterling, CO and Pamela S. and Walter Trimmer, Corvallis, OR; four grandsons and spouses: Abram and Kelli Johnson, Matt and Cindy Johnson, Seth and Hannah Trimmer and Jordan Trimmer; six great-grandchildren: Caden, Calvin, Jackson, Malachi, Grant and Madilyn Grace; and sister, Dorothy J. Simmons of Jackson, MI. Bob was preceded in death by his parents, Roy and Marguerite Kleis and brothers, Russell and Richard Kleis.
A memorial Service will be held at 11:00 a.m., Monday, December 21, 2009 at St. Mark’s United Methodist Church, 8550 Pioneers Blvd., Lincoln, NE 68510.
Memorials may be made to the Church; Self Help International, 703 2nd Avenue, Waverly, IA 50677 or Eastmont Towers Foundation, 6315 “O” Street, Lincoln, NE 68510.
Closed casket visitation will be held on Sunday from 2:00 – 8:00 p.m. at Roper and Sons, 4300 ‘O’ Street.