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AOCS Processing Division
Newsletter November 2007

Tribute: Dick Farmer, 1941—2007
by Catherine Watkins

Dick and his wife, Grace, clown around in their kitchen.

Asked for three words that best describe Dick Farmer, those closest to him chose the following: humble, smart, very smart, analytical, logical, enthusiastic, optimistic, supportive, productive, dedicated, and loyal. As evocative as those descriptors are, they are eclipsed by the stories his friends and associates told after his sudden passing on August 3 at age 66.

Dick clearly was a man who was deeply loved and respected by all those in his orbit. In fact, many of those who worked with him during his 25 years at Bunge North America (St. Louis, Missouri, USA) called him "Mr. Farmer" as a mark of respect, recalls AOCS President Phil Bollheimer.

"I once went into a meeting with Dick and some of his colleagues and suddenly realized I was the only person in the room calling him 'Dick.' Everyone else was calling him 'Mr. Farmer.' When I asked him afterward why that was, he said it was a mystery to him because he had never asked them to do so."

Other titles given to Dick by his colleagues include "The Doctor" and "Professor," reports Mickey Lay, senior project manager at Bunge in St. Louis.

"Dick was my friend and boss for 28 years," he said. "His work ethic was absolutely unparalleled. I recall one occasion when he and I travelled from our facility in Marks, Mississippi, to our plant in Decatur, Alabama, which was about a six-hour drive."

After working all day in Marks, the two left just after 5:00 p.m., with Dick driving, as always. As they pulled out of the parking lot, "Dick suggested I get out a pencil, some paper, and a calculator. For the next six hours he had me calculate heat transfer and steam consumption data on several of our extraction facilities, as well as discussing potential improvements to our dehulling systems and life in general."

By the time the two finally arrived in Decatur at around 11:00 p.m., they decided to drive by the facility so they could see the plant at night. Then they noticed several fire engines heading in the same direction, only to discover there was a fire in a hull collection filter at the plant.

The two immediately began helping to secure the plant and extinguish the fire. After several hours of work, they finally headed to their motel several blocks away.

"We checked in at the front desk and drove around to the rooms," Lay said. "I remember looking at my watch and saying to Dick, 'It is almost 4:00 a.m. What time do you want to meet to go back to the plant?' Dick looked at me as if I were crazy and said, 'The regular time--6:00 a.m.' So I re-opened my door and got back in the car. Dick asked what I was doing. I told him that if we only had two hours to sleep, I would just sleep in the car. We laughed, and he finally said, 'I'll meet you at 7:30 a.m.' But that was the way it was with Dick. You worked hard, and for some reason always enjoyed doing it."

Phil Bollheimer also commented that people who worked with Dick "felt absolute loyalty to him. But, then, loyalty begets loyalty." Bollheimer also remembered how personable Dick was. "He knew the names of everyone's spouse and children, and he would always ask after them."

"He always took time to help others," Mike Snow of Bunge said, adding that "Dick consistently looked for ways to improve processes and people."

Mickey Lay seconded that thought, remembering how Dick would quote Peter Drucker about efficiency and effectiveness. "In the end, though, his motivation was all about people and helping others achieve their potential," Lay said.

Having retired from Bunge in 2004 as vice president of oilseed operations, Mr. Farmer turned his considerable intellect to understanding the nonprofit world of AOCS. "He was always interested in why we did things the way we did," notes Jean Wills, AOCS executive vice president. "He wanted to peel back all the layers and get the core idea behind the actions we took."

"As the recently elected treasurer of AOCS and second vice chairperson and chairperson of the Financial Steering Committee, Dick was a numbers guy, through and through," Wills said. "He would always start a question by saying something like, 'I might not understand this, but . . .,' followed by a question that hit right to the heart of an issue. In fact, when he was here earlier this year to receive our audited financial statement, our accountant turned to him at one point and said, 'Are you an accountant?' And she was serious. He was that good."

In the words of a retired Bunge shift supervisor who worked for Mr. Farmer in the early 1980s--one of the hundreds of people who emailed Mickey Lay after Dick's death: "For those who knew him; we were fortunate. For those who didn't; they missed out."

Mr. Farmer is survived by his wife, Grace; his mother, Genell; sons Steve (Nancy) and Brian (Connie); a sister, Mary King; and four grandchildren.

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Chairperson's Corner

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