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Dr. Robert James Conover

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Dr. Robert James Conover

May 2, 1927 - August 1, 2011

Dr. Robert J. Conover Born May 2, 1927 in Plainfield N. J. to May and Elmer Conover, passed away on August 1, 2011 in Cobourg, Ontario.  Robert (Bob) is survived by his children Roanne (Gordon), Pieter, Sydne (William) and Raonull (Anne), and his grandchildren Owen, Erryl, Jenna and Alastair.  Bob was a wonderful husband to his wife Shirley who predeceased him, and was well loved by his children and grand children.  Bob was educated at Oberlin College and Yale University earning his doctorate from Yale in 1955 in marine biology.  His doctoral thesis focussed on a planktonic crustacean (copepod) that is essential to the ocean’s food web. He continued his research on copepods at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute with the late Gordon Riley. In the fall of 1966 he took a position at the Bedford Institute of Oceanography in Dartmouth, NS., where he and his colleagues furthered our understanding of the feeding physiology of various plankters. He received two citation classics for papers published during this period. In the late 1980s, Bob took his interest in plankton physiology to the arctic where he continued to be at the forefront of his field. During his career he coauthored many publications with younger scientists who went on to become leaders in the field. Bob loved travel, took sabbaticals in Scotland and France, and gave scientific papers around the world. Bob retired from the Bedford Institute in 1994. Bob and Shirley purchased a 75 acre farm near Bewdley , Ontario, to be near grandchildren. Being a true scientist, Bob continued to publish arctic papers after his retirement.  He pursued his passion for organic gardening and every fall would take his pickup truck and head east for salmon fishing in his beloved Nova Scotia. Friends will be received at the MacCoubrey Funeral Home, 30 King St. E., Cobourg on Saturday, September 17, 2011 from 1 pm until the time of the memorial service at 2 pm. Those wishing may make donations to the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives or UNICEF Canada. Condolences received at www.MacCoubrey.com