JENS JUERGEN NIELSEN

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JENS JUERGEN NIELSEN 1927 - 2013 Jens J. Nielsen was born on February 10, 1927 in Bleckede/Elbe, Germany. Jens passed away peacefully at home on February 4, 2013 in Winnipeg after a brief battle with cancer. He is survived by his wife of 54 years, Barbara; daughter Birgit; son Svend, daughter-in-law Terryl and their children Alexandra and Maren; son Ralf, daughter-in-law Pauline and their son Max; son Dirk and daughter-in-law Laurelyn, and his sister Inge (Germany). Jens had a rich and accomplished life of 85 years. He grew up in Bleckede and Lüneburg, Germany and apprenticed in farming in the province of Schleswig Holstein. In 1951 to 1952 he attended the Agricultural College in Celle and gained a Diploma and a passion for plant pathology and plant protection. In 1960, he graduated from the Institute of Plant Pathology at the University of Göttingen with a Doctorate of Science in Agriculture. After gaining his Doctorate, he was awarded a Research Fellowship from the German Research Council and Postdoctoral Fellowship from the National Research Council of Canada (1960 to 1962) in Winnipeg. In 1963 he returned to Winnipeg with Barbara (married in 1958) and became a research scientist with Agriculture Canada at its world-renowned Research Station in Winnipeg, Manitoba. He devoted his career to researching Ustilago, a genus of smut fungi that is parasitic on wheat, oats and barley. His meticulous, innovative research was an important contribution to practical plant protection and breeding in Canada and internationally. Jens' spirit of collaboration forged many international friendships and earned him the Professional Institute of the Public Service of Canada Gold Medal as part of the Winnipeg Bread Wheat Research Team in 1983. In 1989, Jens became a Fellow of the Canadian Phytopathological Society. He retired from Agriculture Canada in 1992. Alongside his career, Jens had numerous hobbies such as cartography, travelling and gardening. He particularly loved boating and built his first and only boat from 1970 to 1975, the Fylgja. Jens spent every summer from 1976 to 2012 with his wife, children and grandchildren exploring the beaches and harbours of Lake Winnipeg. He will be dearly missed by family and friends including those along the lake. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Lake Winnipeg Research Consortium, 62-2nd Avenue, P.O. Box 1289, Gimli, Manitoba, R0C 1B0. Cremation has taken place. Family and friends are invited to a private celebration on Saturday, February 9, 2013 between 12:00 noon and 3:00 p.m. at the Qualico Family Centre, 330 Assiniboine Park Drive, Winnipeg, Manitoba. NEIL BARDAL FUNERAL CENTRE 204-949-2200 www.nbardal.mb.ca

As published in Winnipeg Free Press on Feb 07, 2013