Brent Eugene Zehr, 46, of Dawalwadi, Maharashtra, India, died at 3 p.m. Nov. 17, 2007, at the home of his parents, John and Betty Zehr of Urbana.
His passing was a result of adult rhabdomyosarcoma, which, in adults, is an extremely rare and aggressive type of soft tissue cancer.
He was born Aug. 26, 1961, in Peoria. He married Usha Barwale Dec. 31, 1987. They have two sons, Brian John and Benjamin Raj. In addition to his parents, he had two brothers, the Rev. Terrence Zehr, Elkhart, Ind., and Dr. Randall Zehr, Columbus, Ind., and a sister, Rhonda (Zehr) Gibson of Champaign.
He received both his bachelor's and Ph.D degrees from the University of Illinois, Champaign-Urbana. Upon completion of his graduate studies in 1990, he became a professor of agronomy and a plant research scientist at Purdue University, W. Lafayette, Ind. His research was focused on plant breeding, identifying genetic markers useful in modifying plant performance. In the fall of 1996, he moved to India with his family, where he became director of research for the Maharashtra Hybrid Seeds Company (Mahyco), which serves the Indian farmer by providing quality hybrid seeds for the food, fiber and edible oil crops in that country. He led teams of research scientists in the development and application of plant breeding and modern biotechnology techniques, which has resulted in an improved livelihood for small farmers of India, with implications for others around the world.
Visiting new places and learning from a diversity of cultures was a family affair with Brent. He and his family traveled extensively throughout the world for both business and research interests, as well as for personal recreational activities. During the course of his work, he had the privilege of knowing and interacting with a wide range of people from all walks of life.
Brent had a love for the outdoors and, from his high school/college days, organized and led canoe and camping trips to the Minnesota-Canadian Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness for both youths and adults. He was an avid and skilled fisherman and spent time fishing in Minnesota, Canada, the Cascades and the high country of British Columbia. Nothing gave him more joy than to be on a calm lake with his father and sons catching fish.
Brent was a member of the First Mennonite Church in Urbana and was blessed with a loving and supportive church family from his days as a young child.
A Celebration of Life Service will be held at 2 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 1, at the First Mennonite Church, 902 W. Springfield Ave., Urbana. Brent's remains will be cremated and his ashes taken to places of special significance in India and elsewhere.
In lieu of flowers, the following may be considered: eye care hospital for free eye care for the poor (Shri Ganapati Netralaya, www.netralaya.org) or the Urbana Park District, for Meadowbrook Park (attn: [email protected]). These may be directed to First Mennonite Church if so desired. Morgan Memorial Home, 1304 Regency Drive West, Savoy, is handling the arrangements.
His passing was a result of adult rhabdomyosarcoma, which, in adults, is an extremely rare and aggressive type of soft tissue cancer.
He was born Aug. 26, 1961, in Peoria. He married Usha Barwale Dec. 31, 1987. They have two sons, Brian John and Benjamin Raj. In addition to his parents, he had two brothers, the Rev. Terrence Zehr, Elkhart, Ind., and Dr. Randall Zehr, Columbus, Ind., and a sister, Rhonda (Zehr) Gibson of Champaign.
He received both his bachelor's and Ph.D degrees from the University of Illinois, Champaign-Urbana. Upon completion of his graduate studies in 1990, he became a professor of agronomy and a plant research scientist at Purdue University, W. Lafayette, Ind. His research was focused on plant breeding, identifying genetic markers useful in modifying plant performance. In the fall of 1996, he moved to India with his family, where he became director of research for the Maharashtra Hybrid Seeds Company (Mahyco), which serves the Indian farmer by providing quality hybrid seeds for the food, fiber and edible oil crops in that country. He led teams of research scientists in the development and application of plant breeding and modern biotechnology techniques, which has resulted in an improved livelihood for small farmers of India, with implications for others around the world.
Visiting new places and learning from a diversity of cultures was a family affair with Brent. He and his family traveled extensively throughout the world for both business and research interests, as well as for personal recreational activities. During the course of his work, he had the privilege of knowing and interacting with a wide range of people from all walks of life.
Brent had a love for the outdoors and, from his high school/college days, organized and led canoe and camping trips to the Minnesota-Canadian Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness for both youths and adults. He was an avid and skilled fisherman and spent time fishing in Minnesota, Canada, the Cascades and the high country of British Columbia. Nothing gave him more joy than to be on a calm lake with his father and sons catching fish.
Brent was a member of the First Mennonite Church in Urbana and was blessed with a loving and supportive church family from his days as a young child.
A Celebration of Life Service will be held at 2 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 1, at the First Mennonite Church, 902 W. Springfield Ave., Urbana. Brent's remains will be cremated and his ashes taken to places of special significance in India and elsewhere.
In lieu of flowers, the following may be considered: eye care hospital for free eye care for the poor (Shri Ganapati Netralaya, www.netralaya.org) or the Urbana Park District, for Meadowbrook Park (attn: [email protected]). These may be directed to First Mennonite Church if so desired. Morgan Memorial Home, 1304 Regency Drive West, Savoy, is handling the arrangements.
Brent Eugene Zehr, 46, of Dawalwadi, Maharashtra, India, died at 3 p.m. Nov. 17, 2007, at the home of his parents, John and Betty Zehr of Urbana.
His passing was a result of adult rhabdomyosarcoma, which, in adults, is an extremely rare and aggressive type of soft tissue cancer.
He was born Aug. 26, 1961, in Peoria. He married Usha Barwale Dec. 31, 1987. They have two sons, Brian John and Benjamin Raj. In addition to his parents, he had two brothers, the Rev. Terrence Zehr, Elkhart, Ind., and Dr. Randall Zehr, Columbus, Ind., and a sister, Rhonda (Zehr) Gibson of Champaign.
He received both his bachelor's and Ph.D degrees from the University of Illinois, Champaign-Urbana. Upon completion of his graduate studies in 1990, he became a professor of agronomy and a plant research scientist at Purdue University, W. Lafayette, Ind. His research was focused on plant breeding, identifying genetic markers useful in modifying plant performance. In the fall of 1996, he moved to India with his family, where he became director of research for the Maharashtra Hybrid Seeds Company (Mahyco), which serves the Indian farmer by providing quality hybrid seeds for the food, fiber and edible oil crops in that country. He led teams of research scientists in the development and application of plant breeding and modern biotechnology techniques, which has resulted in an improved livelihood for small farmers of India, with implications for others around the world.
Visiting new places and learning from a diversity of cultures was a family affair with Brent. He and his family traveled extensively throughout the world for both business and research interests, as well as for personal recreational activities. During the course of his work, he had the privilege of knowing and interacting with a wide range of people from all walks of life.
Brent had a love for the outdoors and, from his high school/college days, organized and led canoe and camping trips to the Minnesota-Canadian Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness for both youths and adults. He was an avid and skilled fisherman and spent time fishing in Minnesota, Canada, the Cascades and the high country of British Columbia. Nothing gave him more joy than to be on a calm lake with his father and sons catching fish.
Brent was a member of the First Mennonite Church in Urbana and was blessed with a loving and supportive church family from his days as a young child.
A Celebration of Life Service will be held at 2 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 1, at the First Mennonite Church, 902 W. Springfield Ave., Urbana. Brent's remains will be cremated and his ashes taken to places of special significance in India and elsewhere.
In lieu of flowers, the following may be considered: eye care hospital for free eye care for the poor (Shri Ganapati Netralaya, www.netralaya.org) or the Urbana Park District, for Meadowbrook Park (attn: [email protected]). These may be directed to First Mennonite Church if so desired. Morgan Memorial Home, 1304 Regency Drive West, Savoy, is handling the arrangements.
His passing was a result of adult rhabdomyosarcoma, which, in adults, is an extremely rare and aggressive type of soft tissue cancer.
He was born Aug. 26, 1961, in Peoria. He married Usha Barwale Dec. 31, 1987. They have two sons, Brian John and Benjamin Raj. In addition to his parents, he had two brothers, the Rev. Terrence Zehr, Elkhart, Ind., and Dr. Randall Zehr, Columbus, Ind., and a sister, Rhonda (Zehr) Gibson of Champaign.
He received both his bachelor's and Ph.D degrees from the University of Illinois, Champaign-Urbana. Upon completion of his graduate studies in 1990, he became a professor of agronomy and a plant research scientist at Purdue University, W. Lafayette, Ind. His research was focused on plant breeding, identifying genetic markers useful in modifying plant performance. In the fall of 1996, he moved to India with his family, where he became director of research for the Maharashtra Hybrid Seeds Company (Mahyco), which serves the Indian farmer by providing quality hybrid seeds for the food, fiber and edible oil crops in that country. He led teams of research scientists in the development and application of plant breeding and modern biotechnology techniques, which has resulted in an improved livelihood for small farmers of India, with implications for others around the world.
Visiting new places and learning from a diversity of cultures was a family affair with Brent. He and his family traveled extensively throughout the world for both business and research interests, as well as for personal recreational activities. During the course of his work, he had the privilege of knowing and interacting with a wide range of people from all walks of life.
Brent had a love for the outdoors and, from his high school/college days, organized and led canoe and camping trips to the Minnesota-Canadian Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness for both youths and adults. He was an avid and skilled fisherman and spent time fishing in Minnesota, Canada, the Cascades and the high country of British Columbia. Nothing gave him more joy than to be on a calm lake with his father and sons catching fish.
Brent was a member of the First Mennonite Church in Urbana and was blessed with a loving and supportive church family from his days as a young child.
A Celebration of Life Service will be held at 2 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 1, at the First Mennonite Church, 902 W. Springfield Ave., Urbana. Brent's remains will be cremated and his ashes taken to places of special significance in India and elsewhere.
In lieu of flowers, the following may be considered: eye care hospital for free eye care for the poor (Shri Ganapati Netralaya, www.netralaya.org) or the Urbana Park District, for Meadowbrook Park (attn: [email protected]). These may be directed to First Mennonite Church if so desired. Morgan Memorial Home, 1304 Regency Drive West, Savoy, is handling the arrangements.
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