CNAS

William C. Fairbank , Cooperative Extension Specialist Emeritus in the Department of Environmental Sciences, passed away on September 12, 2010, from complications of surgery. He was 83 years old.

Bill was born on December 17, 1926, in Woodland, California, the son of the late James Partridge Fairbank and Ruth Renfro Fairbank. He grew up in Davis and joined the Navy after graduating from high school in 1944. After the war, he attended UC Berkeley and finished his B.S. in Agricultural Engineering at UC Davis in 1950.

Bill worked as an agricultural engineer his entire career, first in industry, then as an extension farm advisor, and ultimately as an extension agricultural engineer at UCR, from 1960 to 1991. He was instrumental in developing advancements in dairying and farm mechanization throughout California, helping to establish the University of California as a leader in these areas. He was widely recognized statewide and nationally as an effective teacher, one who "speaks the farmers' language." He published 94 influential professional papers and Extension bulletins during his career. His work earned Blue Ribbon Awards from the American Society of Agricultural Engineers on several occasions. His efforts to make possible night picking of melons and other crops found immediate acceptance; it resulted in a 40% energy savings for growers in the Palo Verde Valley, improved product quality, and substantially improved conditions for the labor force.

Bill was preceded in death by his wife of 56 years, Patricia Holtz Fairbank. He is survived by two children, James Fairbank of Erie, PA, and Mary Louise Mermilliod of Riverside, and by a sister, Betty, of British Columbia. Memorials can be made to Charter Hospice, 1012 East Cooley Drive, Suite G, Colton, CA 92324.