Wilmot W. Irish, age 94, an Emeritus Professor of Agricultural Engineering at Cornell University passed away peacefully November 20, 2022, at the Residence at Shelburne Bay in Shelburne, Vermont. He was known for his kindness, positive spirit, and helpfulness to all who met him.

Born July 15, 1928, in Burlington Vermont, he was the son of the late Leo Pearl Irish and Cornelia Wheeler Irish of Shelburne. During his childhood, he lived in the home built by his great-grandfather, Homer Irish. Life was challenging during those times. He described the farm as a subsistence farm, with a few milkers, hens, and pigs, an old orchard, and a couple horses to work the fields. His father did occasional carpentry jobs, and his mother sewed braided rugs from clothing scraps. He helped with chores on the farm, milking cows, gathering rocks, stacking hay, sugaring, and he enjoyed the days in the fall when school was closed so the students could help with the harvest.

He attended the old Palmer School, and then the new Palmer School when it was built. His sister Ruth was five years older, and as he was young for his class she would “box the ears” of any of his classmates who picked on him. He graduated from Shelburne High School in 1945, and had many memories of those years. He and his best friend Charlie spoke recently about Mr. McGee, who taught science and was a coach in addition to the Principal. One memorable physics demonstration was when Mr. McGee held up a silk handkerchief and a student (Art) fired a 22 bullet at it. The silk caught the bullet and the bullet fell to the ground.

Upon his mother’s urging, Wilmot and Charlie were taken to visit the University of Vermont (UVM) by Mr. McGee, and each was awarded a scholarship of $100. They joined ROTC, and had memorable trips back from summer camp, usually hitchhiking. Charlie left school to pursue a career, but he and Dad remained friends throughout their lives. Dad made several other life-long friends at UVM, and although Calculus proved to be his nemesis, he credits the extra semester it took to graduate with delaying his call to service by a year. He graduated in 1950.

After graduation he got a job selling farm equipment for the Loudon Machinery Company, and he was assigned to Canandaigua, New York. On Sundays he would choose a church to attend, to meet and become acquainted with potential clients. One fateful Sunday he attended the Methodist Church, and saw several cute girls in the choir loft. After the service, one came up to him and asked him if he would play the part of a detective on a float advertising a show for the community players. He had a pipe, and a cap similar to Sherlock Holmes, and that was how he met the minister’s daughter. Although his sales job only lasted six months, and he went back to Vermont, Cupid’s arrow had found its target. He and Barbara were married next year, in August 1951. Wilmot described her as the love of his life, and said the best thing he ever did was getting married to someone smarter than him.

Wilmot was called up in June 1951. Fort Dix and Fort Benning preceded a cross-country trip with Barbara to Seattle in an old car. By May 1952 he was in Korea, part of the 40th Army replacement officers. In July he was assigned the Company C platoon leader for the 224th. He said he spent time near Kumwha, then was transferred to Geoje-Do POW camp to help after the prisoner uprising. By October he was on the front at Sandbag Castle, near Satae-Ri. This site had seen some of the hardest action in the war the month before. His platoon was on the point through a series of serious attacks, a mortar shelling November 3, 1952 that resulted in three deaths, and another attack that required calling in a napalm strike. He also spotted an enemy observation site hidden in a cave by the glint off the lens, and a 75 put the site out of commission. Snipers were a constant threat. Wilmot never talked about the war, until the last years of his life. By then he knew that he had returned suffering from PTSD, and he credited Barbara with teaching him golf to help get through it. He was proud of his combat infantry badge, wearing it regularly, and he was awarded the Bronze Star.

On the boat back from Korea, Wilmot made the decision to continue his education. He enrolled at the University of Illinois, and got his MS in Agricultural Engineering, with a focus on farm structures. Two children later, he was in Storrs, Connecticut as an Assistant Professor at the University of Connecticut, and a daughter joined the family. Early memories include walking to the big church in the center of town on Sunday.

In 1960 Wilmot joined the Department of Agricultural Engineering at Cornell where he specialized in farm structures, with responsibilities for the Extension Plan Service and directing the formation of the Northeast Regional Agricultural Engineering Service. During his time at Cornell, he worked in the Agricultural Engineering Department Extension Service improving dairy structures throughout New York State, and designed facilities for loose cow housing at The William H. Miner Agricultural Research Institute in Chazy, NY. He had been active in the American Society of Agricultural Engineers since UVM and served as Secretary-Treasurer of the North Atlantic Region. He retired in 1995.

During his career, traveling was a big part of his life. He drove around New York visiting dairy farms and helping farmers and county extension agents. In 1964 he and Barbara visited the Soviet Union as part of a People to People exchange. A year-long sabbatical at the University of California at Davis gave the whole family a chance to travel across the country, visiting National Parks and other sites on the way. In 1981 he was awarded a Fulbright Grant to develop an agricultural engineering program at the University of Gezira in Sudan, which necessitated traveling around the world, as well as allowing visits to Egypt and Kenya. There were Ag Engineering trips to Sweden and Denmark to look at farm and dairy practices, and a trip to China through NFMC. Most of these trips resulted in a requisite slide show to be enjoyed by family and friends alike. He also kept maps of all the foreign countries visited so he could relive the travels.

Family was always important. His only cousins were on his mother’s side, and there were many gatherings he remembered at the Wheeler House in South Burlington. He maintained connections with his cousins throughout their lives, and although many were living across the states, he would visit whenever he was near. Driving the family to Vermont for Thanksgiving was a yearly occurrence, as were gatherings of his in-laws every summer at Hatch Lake. Any trip that went near a relative necessitated stopping by for a visit or an overnight stay, even though they were scattered about from Illinois, Michigan, Ohio, New England, and Florida, and California.

Church always played a key role in his life. His great uncle was an Episcopal minister, and his grandparents and parents attended both the Episcopal and Methodist churches in Shelburne He remembered the tunes and words of many hymns, even as he attended church in his 90’s. Wherever he lived, he became an active member of the congregation, helping whenever he could. He enjoyed discussing the lesson, and would comment on various aspects from clarity and applicability to his daily life to the length, except for those times when he nodded off. He especially enjoyed the music, and listening to the organist play.

Music was also important. He and Barbara were very active in the music scene in Ithaca, and both served important roles with the New York and National Federation of Music Clubs (NFMC). Although the only instrument he played was the harmonica, Barbara was a piano teacher and a harpist. Wilmot was designated as the prime mover of the harp for Barbara’s 600+ performances in the Ithaca area. Of course he applied his engineering knowledge to the task, fitting the harp case with casters at each appropriate point to allow one person to load it into the back of the station wagon. As he got older, he devised a way to transport the harp without the huge case. During this time he had an opportunity to hear many different ensemble and orchestral pieces. After her death, he compiled a list of all of her performances, and could recount details about the different pieces, composers, and performers. He also supported scholarship programs for young musicians.

Through NFMC, he and Barbara had more opportunities to travel, going to NFMC National Meetings across the country. As Barbara became more active in the leadership of NFMC, Wilmot became the chauffeur, greeter, and general jack-of-all trades. Sometimes this necessitated participating in skits or wearing costumes, which he did with great aplomb. Whether driving Van Cliburn to the airport or acting as the foil for Barbara in a Champ costume, Wilmot was always friendly and gregarious, and he and Barbara made good friends with people from all parts of the country, including Joe and Sophie Albrecht of Ohio.

Unfortunately, Barbara was diagnosed with cancer at Thanksgiving in 2001, and succumbed after a few months. Within weeks of Barbara’s death, Sophie’s husband Joe passed. Wilmot and Sophie became good friends and comforted each other through the next fifteen years. They lived in a Wesleyan community, and Wilmot was a strong supporter of the church and musical mission of the community. When Sophie passed, he returned to Shelburne to live his final years in the town where he grew up. He attended the Shelburne Methodist Church, as his parents and grandparents had. He moved into the Residence at Shelburne Bay, where he found a new community, and the opportunity for fellowship and friendship that was so important in his life.

Wherever he went, he was always helpful and gracious, he strove to make a positive impact on all he met, and he made many new friends. He wished his legacy would be for everyone to invert the “me” in life into “we”.

Wilmot was predeceased by his son Wendell, his wife Barbara, and his grandson Zeke Kassel. He is survived by his son Paul, daughter Carol, their spouses, several grandchildren, nieces, nephews, and one great grandson.

A memorial service will be held Wednesday, December 14 at 11:00 AM at the Shelburne United Methodist Church in Shelburne, Vermont. In lieu of flowers, please donate to a church, food shelf, or music organization of your choice.