Aug. 26, 1926 — April 10, 2015
Herman Timm, Ph.D., Emeritus Vegetable Crops Specialist at UC Davis, passed away Friday, April 10, 2015, from complications of Alzheimer’s disease. He was 88 years old.
The only child of German immigrants, Henry and Ida (Yaeger) Timm, Herman Timm was born in Kenosha, Wis., on Aug. 26, 1926. The family soon moved to New York City, where he was raised in the hustle and bustle of the city. Despite coming from that urban environment, Herman had a great love of the outdoors, became a Boy Scout and often explored the natural areas of upper New York state.
Through Scouting, he also developed a great respect for the Native Americans of the region. Graduating from high school during World War II, he enlisted in the U.S. Navy shortly before his 18th birthday in August 1944 and served as a radioman in the Pacific Theater until the conclusion of the war. After his service, he returned to New York, married his high school sweetheart, Eileen Theresa Mitchell, and began his studies in agricultural sciences at Cornell University, where he earned his bachelor of science.
Over the next few years, he continued his studies in graduate school, earning his master’s of science from the Michigan State College and his Ph.D. from Pennsylvania State. In the mid-1950s, Herman moved his young family to Davis to begin a career with the UC Davis department of vegetable crops, specializing in physiology and nutrition of the potato.
Herman and his wife Eileen raised seven children. Herman was an active Boy Scout volunteer, enjoying camping and fishing. As the son of immigrants, German was his first language; as an adult, he enjoyed passing along a few German phrases to his children and having conversations with native German speakers. Every year he grew a large vegetable garden, taking pride in the abundance of bell peppers and tomatoes growing in his back yard. He was devoted to his children and loved hosting family gatherings in his home.
He is survived by seven children: Henry, Richard, Timothy, Eric and Andrew Timm of Davis; George Timm of Spokane, Wash.; and Anne Drinkard, of Vacaville; 11 grandchildren: Kelli, Sean, Matthew, Kayla, Dustin, Krista, Mitchell, Alex and Bradley Timm; Jason Drinkard and Katy Payne; son-in-law Ron Drinkard; daughters-in-law Nadine Timm and Inez Villanueva; and nearly a dozen great-grandchildren.
He was preceded in death by his beloved wife, Eileen Timm, on Dec. 9, 2001, and infant daughter, Eileen Patricia “Patsy” Timm, who passed away from childhood leukemia in 1953.
A private family memorial service is being planned for later this year.
In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donations to any of the following organizations:
· Boy Scouts of America, Golden Empire
https://aplacetogive.scouting.org/magento/index.php/give-local-golden-empire.html
· Sutter Davis Hospital Foundation
http://www.sutterdavis.org/philanthropy/how-to-give.html
· University of California Endowed Scholarship Fund
https://give.ucdavis.edu/Donate/YourGift/111643

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