We are saddened to report that Dr. Dave Williams, plant breeder and former superintendent of the Kula Ag Station, died on October 16.
Dave earned his doctorate in plant breeding in Madison, Wisconsin, where he focused on green beans. After graduation in 1962, he was offered a position as superintendent of a new experiment station on Maui. He spent six years developing the station in Kula; perhaps his most memorable contribution was his introduction of protea to the island, which continues to be a viable crop for the flower industry.
Afterward, he took a position at the Pineapple Research Institute on O‘ahu and subsequently became director. He is credited with the development of the ‘Gold’ pineapple, through a breeding program that was ultimately completed on Maui at Maui Pineapple Company. Here he is shown holding a medal awarded to him by the American Society for Horticulture Science recognizing the ‘MD-2’ pineapple as the 2010 Outstanding Fruit Cultivar.
Retiring in the mid ’90s, he moved to Fort Collins, Colorado, to be with family. Dave was a man of action, to whom no project was too daunting. With persistence and hard work, he always saw his jobs to completion. He will be missed.