Robert, of Okemos was born to Fred and Lolabel Gast. Bob grew up on a farm near Ewing, Missouri where love of God, family and agriculture were his priorities, and continued to be the source of his greatest achievements in life. He graduated from Philadelphia High School in 1949 and then enrolled at the University of Missouri -College of Agriculture. He served in the US Air Force in Korea during 1953-55. After returning from service he continued his education at University of Missouri where he acquired all three of his degrees in soil chemistry. He began his professional career at the University of Tennessee - AEC in 1959 and then moved to the University of Minnesota in 1970 where he became a Professor of Soil Science. Always striving to provide an increasingly greater impact on advancements in agriculture, he accepted the position of Head, Department of Agronomy at the University of Nebraska in 1977. In 1983 he accepted the position as Director, Michigan Agricultural Experiment Station and Associate Dean, College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Michigan State University where, after thirteen years, he capped his career as Vice President of Research and Graduate Studies before retiring in 1998. Bob's career was marked by many awards and accomplishments for his activities that helped enhance and modernize U.S. and world agriculture. Known for his honesty, integrity, compassion, humility, hard work, and service to others he was also a natural leader, becoming a Fellow and serving as President of the American Society of Agronomy and several other professional societies. His faith, family and the love of his life, his wife Mary Lou, were always what he cherished most. He loved the times when he and his siblings and their families would gather at the family farm in Missouri. And likewise when his children and their families would all gather at their homes in Michigan or Florida, him glowing with pride in all their life accomplishments.
He was preceded in death by his parents and his grandson, Andrew. He is survived by his loving wife of 56 years, Mary Lou (Parrish); his three children, Regina (Kevin) Nelson, Roger (Allison) Gast, and Kimberly (David) Van Allen; seven grandchildren Katie, Kim, Dan, Michael, Philip, Megan and Ben; brother Philip Gast, and sisters Pat Chostner and Judy Tucker. A memorial service celebrating Bob's life will be held Thursday, June 17, 2010 at Gorsline Runciman Funeral Homes, East Lansing with Dan Nelson of Antioch Ministries officiating. Memorial contributions may be made to the Robert G. and Mary Lou Gast Graduate Fellowship in Soil Science, made to Michigan State University,

Published in Lansing State Journal on June 13, 2010