Bert L. Bohmont, 84, of Fort Collins, died May 19. Cremation has taken place.
He was born December 12, 1932, in Wheatland, WY, to Gilbert and Verna Patrick Bohmont. He married Kathleen Buckingham on February 28, 1960, in Cody, WY. Bert graduated from Wheatland High School and attended the University of Wyoming in Laramie where he received a Bachelor’s degree in 1955, a Master’s Degree in 1956 and a PhD in pesticides and weed science in 1970. Bert served in the U.S. Army Veterinary Corps from 1957 to 1959.
Bert worked for the Wyoming Department of Agriculture as state agronomist from 1956 until 1965 when he began work for the Cooperative Extension Service at Colorado State University. He was the coordinator of pesticide programs until his retirement in 1993 as professor emeritus.
In 1970, he established the Colorado Crop Protection Institute and conducted conferences every year for 22 years while at CSU and for 5 years during retirement. Bert was accorded many honors during his career. He was one of very few to have received all three of the awards available to campus Extension faculty, having received the F.A. Anderson Distinguished Service Award in 1977, the Epsilon Sigma Phi State Professional Excellence Award in 1982, and the Epsilon Sigma Phi State Distinguished Service Award in 1993. He received many other awards including the Western Society of Weed Science Fellow award in 1982. The University of Wyoming honored him as a distinguished alumnus in 1996.
Bert has more than 100 publications to his credit as well as his book “The Standard Pesticide User’s Guide” and contributed to various other books and publications. He was an advisor to the “Farm Chemicals Handbook,” widely used in agriculture.
Colorado State University honored his 37 years of public service by establishing the Bert L. Bohmont Extension Excellence Graduate Student Award and stating that, “Dr. Bohmont’s educational programs have benefited not only the agricultural segment of Colorado, but also the general public throughout the United State and the world by helping in the understanding of pesticides and how to use them properly and safely.”
Bert had several hobbies and loved to play golf, a sport her enjoyed with his wife and close friends. He won a number of golf tournaments and placed in many others.
Survivors include his two sons, Todd Bohmont of Corpus Christi, TX, and Clark Bohmont of Arlington, MA. He was preceded in death by his parents; sister, Arveda Stephenson, and his wife of 55 years, Kathleen Bohmont.
A celebration of life will be held at a future date. Those interested in attending should e-mail celebratebert@gmail.com for times and location. Friends may send condolences to the family at bohlenderfuneralchapel.com.
Published in The Coloradoan from May 24 to May 28, 2017
