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Obituary for Robert Benjamin Nevins
Robert Benjamin Nevins, 89, passed away onSaturday, June 16, 2018 after a rich, long life. A resident of Jackson, MS since 1967, “Bob” was born inMilwaukee,WisconsinNovember 12, 1928 to Ruth Gladys (Powers)and Lloyd Lee Nevins. Hereceived his Bachelor of Arts degree from Washington University in St. Louis MO in 1950.Upon graduation, Bob was commissioned as an officer in the U.S. Army and was in the last class of officers who received an ROTC commission in the Coast Artillery Corps (CAC). He completed artillery school in Fort Bliss, TX, served as a Battery Officer atFort McCoy, WI, and was honorably discharged in 1953, whereupon he continued to serve in the Army Reserve. Bob married Gracanne Elizabeth Trippe in 1957 and together they had four children. Bob completed a Master of Science degree from the University of Missouri in 1956 and subsequently joined the faculty of the Departments of Horticulture and Botany at Mississippi State University. Bob and his wife resided in Starkville for six years.While there, Bob served as Vice President of the Starkville Kiwanis Club and participated in the summer sciences program for high school students. He joined the Biology Department at Millsaps College, Jackson in 1967 where he taught for 47 years prior to his retirement as Emeritus Associate Professor of Biology. In his many decades at Millsaps, Bob served the College as chair of the planning committee for the Morton Lecture Series in the Sciences; chair of the pre-health advisory committee from 1988 to 2006, and as a committee member thereafter; developed innovative interdisciplinary courses; offered exemplary service advising students, recruiting students, and positively shaping pre-health advising at Millsaps College; and left a lasting impression of corny jokes on countless numbers of students. During his years in academia, he authored or co-authored numerous articles published in scientific journals.Bob was a member of the honoraries Sigma Xi, Gamma Sigma Delta, and Gamma Alpha; the American Society of Plant Physiologists; the Scandinavian Society for Plant Physiology; and the Mississippi Academy of Science. As a true ‘renaissance man’ Bob enjoyedmany varied interests outside of academics. He had a profound appreciation of music: he played the recorder with the Mississippi Academy of Ancient Music in its early years; he wrestled with bagpipes and led many impromptu parades around his office and neighborhood; he was active in the Jackson Mississippi Caledonian Society, serving as President for several years. He was an avid gardener, traveler, Germanophile, and was a founding member of the AAAS at Millsaps (Afternoon Attitude Adjustment Society). Bob is preceded in death by his wife Gracanne. He is survived bytheir children Robert(Sharon) Nevins of Raleigh, NCand their children Catherine, Bobby, Brian and Melanie; Grace (Charles) Krauss of Macon GA, and their daughters Carolyn and Emily; Christopher (Candace) Nevins of Houston TX and his children Alexander, Dalton, Trippe and Elizabeth; and Jennifer (Wayne) Henson of Pensacola, FL and their sons Benjamin and Daniel. Funeral Services will be held Saturday, June 30, 2018 at 11:00 A.M at St. James Episcopal Church. Visitation will be held at St. James on Friday June 29 from 5:00-7:00 P.M. and on Saturday from 10:00-11:00 A.M. immediately prior to the service. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations can be made to “the Robert and Gracanne Nevins Endowment for the Enhancement of Biology Education” at Millsaps College, Office of Institutional Advancement, 1701 North State St., Jackson, MS 39210.
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