Roderick Leon “Rod” Bieleski was born on August 3, 1931, in Auckland and died on November 15, 2016.

He was a New Zealand plant physiologist.

He attended Auckland University College, graduating with an MSc with first-class honours in 1955.

When he completed a PhD on the process of sugar transport in sugar cane at the University of Sydney in 1958.

Rob began a research career at the New Zealand Department of Scientific and Industrial Research (DSIR), retiring in 1996.

Bieleski was the director of the DSIR’s division of horticulture and processing, from 1980 to 1988.

Bieleski was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of New Zealand in 1973, and won the society’s Hector Medal in 1984.

Rob Bieleski was awarded a DSc by thesis by the University of Sydney in 1990, and he was appointed a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to horticultural science in the 2010 New Year Honours.

He died in Takapuna.

Bieleski passed away at 85 years old.