Albert J. Fischer

Albert J. Fischer, 72, of Davis, CA passed away suddenly on November 22, 2022.  Born to Mr. & Mrs. Helmuth and Annette Fischer in Montevideo, Uruguay, Albert emigrated to Argentina, Mexico, and Colombia before settling in Davis, California. In his youth he graduated from the German school of Montevideo (Deutsche Schule), followed by an undergraduate degree in Crop Science and Animal Husbandry at the University of the Republic of Uruguay, and MSc and PhD degrees in Crop Science from Oregon State University.

In his professional life, Albert had a lifelong passion for ending hunger in developing countries and collaborated extensively with colleagues around the world. Albert was proud to have started his career working for the Uruguayan Ministry of Agriculture, after which he went on to work as a professor of Weed Science at the University of Chapingo in Mexico, a Rice Physiologist at the International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT) in Cali, Colombia, and a visiting weed biologist at North Dakota State University, before finally joining the Plant Sciences Dept. at UC Davis.  At UC Davis, Albert was honored to hold the Melvin D. Androus Professorship for Weed Science in Rice endowed by the California Rice Research Board and was recently awarded the California Rice Industry Award from the Cooperative Rice Research Foundation of California. Among others, he was a member of the International Weed Science Society, serving as past president, and was recently awarded the 2022 Outstanding International Lifetime Achievement Award.

Albert was a curious and adventurous soul who enjoyed life and the experiences the world had to offer.  He enjoyed his lifelong passion for sailing, was a copious reader, enjoyed music, and had numerous hobbies spanning bicycle racing, photography, WWII history, camping, and wood working.  More recently, he enjoyed editing and sharing his lifetime of photography from his numerous travels to Africa, Central and South America, Europe, and Asia.

He is survived by his wife, Madeleine, and his two sons, Eric and Patrick, his pride and joy.  He was a generous soul and loving father with a witty sense of humor.  He was one of a kind and an inspirational role model for his family. He will be sorely missed.

A Celebration of Life is planned for Saturday, February 11, 2023 at 11 am on the UC Davis campus.