he environment, production agriculture and education. He spearheaded the development of the Agronomy and Agricultural Engineering Research Farms and oversaw the efforts to secure funding for Agronomy Hall's substantial building addition. Dr. Pesek was named a fellow of the American Society of Agronomy, the Soil Science Society of America, Crop Science Society of America, the Iowa Academy of Science, and the American Association for the Advancement of Science. He served as president of both the American Society of Agronomy and the Soil Science Society of America and helped establish the nation's first National Soil Tilth Laboratory, a USDA-ARS facility in Ames, IA (now called the National Laboratory for Agriculture and the Environment). Dr. Pesek was named a Charles F. Curtiss Distinguished Professor of Agriculture at Iowa State University in 1981 and received the Agronomic Service Award from the American Society of Agronomy in 1989. Pesek retired in 1992. He received the Iowa State University Honorary Alumni Award in 2014 and is an emeritus member of the Iowa Academy of Science. John was a caring and compassionate man who always gave of himself to his family, friends, professional colleagues and Church. He was a quiet, gentle man with seemingly endless knowledge and a sense of humor that will be missed by close friends and family. He was a long-time member of St. Cecilia Catholic Church. Mass of the Christian Burial will be celebrated at 2:30 P.M. on Friday, February 15, 2019 at St. Cecilia Catholic Church in Ames. Visitation will be held at the church for one hour prior to the Mass. Burial will be in the ISU cemetery. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests memorial gifts to the Northcrest Community Foundation, 1801 20th Street, Ames Iowa 50010 or St. Cecilia Catholic Church, 2900 Hoover Avenue, Ames, Iowa 50010. To read the full obituary, please click here: http://www.adamssoderstrum.com/obituaries/John-Pesek?obId=4161022#/obituaryInfo