Darrel Rudolph Bienz, 88, of Pullman, passed away quietly in his sleep on Jan. 23, 2015, at the Avalon Care Center in Pullman, Wash. Darrel was born April 1, 1926, in Bern, Idaho, the oldest of four sons of Rudolph and Marintha Bienz. He graduated from Montpelier, Idaho, high school in May 1944 and soon joined the U.S. Army where he trained and served as a radio intercept operator until WWII ended.
He enrolled at the University of Utah for a year, and then transferred to the University of Idaho to complete his undergraduate degree. He and Betty Jean Hirschi were married on June 15, 1950, and together they moved to Ithaca, N.Y., where Darrel received a Ph.D. in plant breeding from Cornell University.
Darrel returned to Moscow to teach at the University of Idaho for two years, and then went to Aberdeen, Idaho, as a USDA potato breeder until he was recruited to join the horticulture faculty at Washington State University in Pullman, Wash. He remained there until his retirement in 1992.
After several years of teaching and research, Darrel was granted a sabbatical leave and a Fulbright grant to teach at Ege University near Izmir, Turkey. He, Betty and their five children flew to New York, crossed the Atlantic Ocean on the Queen Elizabeth and camped through Europe en route to Izmir. While there, they also toured Turkey, Greece and Israel.
After returning to Pullman, he continued his teaching and research and wrote a book titled "The Why and How of Home Horticulture." It was used extensively as a textbook, and a second edition was also published.
Darrel was granted a second sabbatical to prepare to teach tropical agriculture. After four months of study at the University of Hawaii, he traveled with Betty and son Bart to visit experiment stations in the Philippines, Taiwan, Malaysia, Thailand and India. Other WSU assignments included teaching at the agricultural university in Bonjarbaru, Borneo (Indonesia), to help prepare students for graduate studies at WSU, and horticulture tours in Puerto Rico, Jordan and China. After retirement, Darrel and Betty continued to travel, visiting Russia, Egypt, and Central and South America. However, Darrel may be remembered best for his WSU research and development of the Cougar Red tomato.
In anticipation of retirement, Darrel and Betty bought a house and acreage on the Old Moscow Road where he planted evergreen trees. The project grew into a you-cut Christmas tree business, and the farm also produced nursery stock for landscaping and ornamental use.
Darrel was an active member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormon) and has served in many callings, his favorite being a Boy Scout leader. He has also been a teacher, a counselor, a bishop and from 1996-98, he and Betty were educational missionaries in Suva, Fiji, where he taught agriculture at the L.D.S. Technical College there. He was a gifted, unpretentious man, whose faith in hard work fueled his ambition. He will be greatly missed by those who knew and loved him.
Darrel is survived by his wife, Betty; daughter Marianne Febach of Olympia; three sons, Steve (Vivian) Bienz, Robert Bienz and Bart Bienz; one brother, Ray Bienz; and two grandsons, Bryant and Bryce Bienz. He was preceded in death by a son, Karl Bienz, and son-in-law Ed Febach.
The funeral service will be held at 11 a.m. Friday, Jan. 30, 2015, with viewing one hour prior to service at the L.D.S. Church on Orchard Drive in Pullman, Wash. Burial will follow at the Pullman Cemetery. Kimball Funeral Home of Pullman is caring for the family. Online condolences may be sent to www.kimballfh.com.