Robert Willmes Obituary

joined the school in 1965 and till 1973 never missed my family while i was at the hostel. he taught us what and how life has to be treated and the values of life.i deeply owe my success to fr willmes. would always have him very close to my heart.

My gratitude goes to Father Willmes and his team for my formative years from 1956 to 1967 and from time to time even after that

I knew him from January 1964 (when I joined Saint Xavier's as a tiny tot) till his death and spent numerous hours on the basball grounds, swimming pool as well as working alongside him both in school and later in the Alumni Office. He was gentle yet stern, cheerful but firm; a noble combination of an ascetic, a caring shepherd and a smiling philosopher.

Perhaps he was a Saint with a Camera since he went around shooting pictures with a piousness that is not visible in the material modern day world. He captured not the "figures" but the "souls", which is the hallmark of any great artiste and creating pictures for him was an offering at the altar of excellence.

To have been the favourite of two of the finest Jesuits of all times, Fr. Wilzbacher and Fr. Willmes and to have been a benefactor of their counsel and affection; was certainly ordained as a divine blessing.

He was born on 9th December 1914 at New Port, Kentucky. In 1935 entered the Society of Jesus. Arrived in India in 1949. 1949-1950 studied Hindi at Gomoh in Bihar. 1952 arrived at St. Xavier School Jaipur. 1976-1982 Fr. Willmes was at St. Xavier, Delhi. 1983 onwards he continued to be at Jaipur.



He always took some very thrilling snaps before settling down as the referee of all the alumni baseball matches before the Poolside Parties and the AGM’s. Calling out a strike or a no ball and calling safe by wagging his open palms or gesturing with his right thumb over his shoulder for an out. Straight back, thick shoulders T-shirt tucked in his American trousers with a canvas belt and his blue Ohio St. Xavier’s baseball cap. All that gave him the appearance of G I Joe.



The major part of his life was spent between the classroom, the hostel, the outdoors and the photography darkroom. His footprints are visible all over the campus and there is hardly any home of a Xavierite which does not have a photograph taken by him. He began his photography with the old model contraption, mounted on a tripod, with a black shroud over his head and the main body of the camera. In order to take that one picture of a class, he had to shuttle umpteen times between the camera and its ‘models’, interchanging the places of boys, asking them to dip their spectacles and using his photometer again and again. Before he finally clicked, he asked them to say ‘cheeeese’! He always carried extra black frames (without lenses) for those who wore spectacles so as to avoid the reflection or glare from the lenses. He has had the unique privilege of photographing several world dignitaries including the visit of the humble, Mother Teresa. There had been no school event which he had not covered; from the class photos to the extra curricular activities, from sports to picnics and from alumni get-togethers to staff events – he’d captured them all on his camera. His daunting task began when he had to develop and make prints in the dark room. This meant long hours in the dark room of meticulously going about the numbered list and the films and the negatives, whose collection now constitutes the entire history of our school.



All the school corridors, junior school hall and other premises are lined with pictures taken by him. When Fr. Augustine was here he requested him to complete the history of the class photos in the corridor, so he worked tirelessly for long hours doing the job. On my visits to his room I saw him make those large pictures working with hammer and pliers to set them in frames. I even saw that in the process he hurt himself, blood oozing out of his palm and a white rag wrapped around the wound. What had he been not doing even at that ripe age? I asked myself.



He was suffering from cancer of the prostrate for the last 7-8 years. Went to the States for treatment, was operated upon, then drove a few hundred miles to meet his ailing brother on the express highway in States. What a daring soul this man is! He came back to Jaipur and resumed his duties. Took charge of OBA and started taking those class photos



Late Raghubir Singh Khatu, the renowned photographer always described himself as a pupil of Fr. Willmes in photography.

Deepak Mahan describes Father Willmes as a ‘Saint with a Camera’ since he goes around shooting pictures with the pious-ness that is not visible in the material modern day world. He captures not the ‘figure’ but the ‘soul’, which is the hallmark of any great artiste and creating pictures for him is an offering at the altar of excellence.



Two years back he went to Delhi, fell and broke his girdle. This is the region where his cancer is spreading into the bones. He was hospitalised and operated upon and finally brought back to Jaipur. He once again sprung back and was moving around with a walking stick. What a fighting spirit! He was as alert as ever. His movements were then confined to the school campus and he missed his evening forays to the bazaars of Jaipur. He continued to take good care of the alumni accounts and kept giving us his guidance.



The hostellers for whom he was the ‘SHEPHERD’, of course have had a very great affinity with him.

Col. Sangram Singh ’62 describes him as calm, cool, sober, responsible, strict, just and conscientious. He further elaborates that Fr. Willmes has inculcated total quality values among the hostellers.

Pratap Bhanu Singh, who was in the hostel from 1956 to 1962 remembers him as follows: Fr. Willmes as the Hostel Superintendent was, “A man of granite discipline with a soft caring inside like a coconut kernel” not only a Reverend father but what a paternal father should be. It would however take a whole book to print all the hostellers’ stories about him.



Besides the finishing touches to the main school building, he is also responsible for making the hostel building (now the Junior school), the Jesuit residence and the Church building. The junior school building is the second structure on earth, whose stonework matches with the main building, though many have tried to copy that pattern.



This is a humble tribute to a man of varied interests and human qualities. He is an accountant, an administrator, a photographer, a teacher, a counsellor, a guardian angel and many more. Above all it is the human and spiritual aspects of his being, that have enhanced all his efforts and endeavours – a professional priest, an unshakeable belief in the Almighty and the goodness of his creation, a sensitive but determined humaneness, a caring and stint guardian angel and a phenomenal display of human energy.

He was and will remain an institution. WHAT A MANY SPLENDOUR-ED HUMAN BEING!!! GOD HAS BLESSED US ALL.

Rest in peace Rev. Father!

I knew him for all my school life as a student in St, Xavier's Jaipur (1959 Senior Cambridge Batch) - and visited him several times afterwards. He was a meticulous person. I remember the many times he took the class photographs - especially the way he looked at all of us before the final click.

He demonstrated a life time of keeping a lid on day-to-day noise and of putting important things in life at the forefront of one's perspective. I was at St. Xavier's jaipur from 3rd to 11th standard and graduated in 1973.

I knew Father Willmes since 1964 to 2001. I last met him in 2001 when i had taken my family to see Jaipur and my school. He was a very kind and unassuming person. To me he was more like a 'father' as I was an orphan. His pasing away is a sad blow and a great loss to all who have known him. I shall always cherish his memeory. May God bless his soul alaways.

All through our lives Bob and I had kept in close contact; his life was always a constant inspiration for me, especially after he joined the Jesuit novitiate. After conmpleting his juniorate studies he volunteered to go to India as a missionary; his petition was accepted and the Provincial told him and two other of his companions to prepare to leave for India. A few days before the scheduled departure for India, the Provincial changed Bob's destination not to India but Rome to study philosophy at Gregorian University.

His two companions went to India and were assigned to teach at the newly founded St. Xavier School and Hostel in Jaipur. One of his companions was appointed the first principal, Bill Hussey, and his companion McFarland was a teacher. God's ways are strange; I almost became one of the founders of St. Xavier's Jaipur. I'll miss Bob's abiding presence and inspiration despite his poor health.

So goodbye dear friend -until we meet again in heaven where there will no longer be sickness or pain. What a joyful reunion we'll have with our loved ones, to see God and all the numerous saints we tried to imitate in our humble little ways.

God has taken home one of his finest of men and the most spiritual.

He was a kind and gentle soul and will be missed by all those who loved him.

I was blessed to have him be such a big part of my childhood.



Moe Connelly Taylor

You are remembered as a wonderful friend of our family. Though we haven't seen you in a number of years, you will certainly be missed. Maybe you can get together with mom and dad up there and work up a bridge game!

For 50 years Fr. Willmes was guide, and saintly friend to me. His cheerful advice was aften sought and always appreciated. He lived a wondrous Jesuit life, and is welcomed, I am certain into the company of Ignatius and the other great men who have gone before him. I shall miss him greatly, and regret that frail health prevents me from being at his funeral. I hope that a Chicago-Loyola memorial will be planned. He has many friends in this area.