Mr. V. Allan Bandel

On November 2, 2019, V. Allan Bandel, 82, passed away at the Care Center at The Lutheran Village at Miller’s Grant in Ellicott City. He had been in declining health for several months. A native Marylander who lived his entire life in Howard County, Dr. Bandel attended the University of Maryland, College Park, (UMCP), earning a Ph.D in Soil Fertility in 1965. His roots at UMCP ran deep, and after graduating, he accepted a full-time position overseeing the Soil Testing Lab for the Cooperative Extension Service. He remained at the University his entire professional career, and as an Extension Soils Specialist, distinguished himself as an authority and early proponent of No-Till, a farming technique which was regarded by many as a radical concept when first introduced in the 1960s. It has since been proven to improve crop yields, conserve topsoil, and markedly reduce chemical runoff-a factor especially important to Maryland’s Chesapeake Bay ecosystem. A major focus of Dr. Bandel’s work was encouraging Maryland farmers to adopt No-Till, and as of 2014, Maryland was second only to Kentucky in total No-Till cropland acreage. Dr. Bandel’s work, focused on research, collaboration with other institutions and industry and educational outreach to farmers, involved a great deal of travel, both locally and further afield, and was not always easy. He once joked that if his itinerary had him headed to Buffalo, New York, it must be February. He was a prolific writer and active in multiple professional associations. He was the recipient of numerous accolades, one of the most prestigious being his election in 1985 as a Fellow of the American Society of Agronomy, which recognizes colleagues for their achievements and meritorious service. After retiring in 1992, he found it difficult to completely leave academia behind, and remained active by contributing articles to trade, research and local farming publications and serving as an officer in organizations including the Howard County Farm Bureau and the Howard County Soil Conservation Board. He also was a member of the Maryland Two-Cylinder Club and the Howard County Antique Farm Machinery Club-these affiliations spurred by his life-long love of John Deere tractors, which he and his brother, Don, enjoyed collecting, restoring, exhibiting and driving in the annual Howard County Fair opening day parade. He also enjoyed attending tractor shows and events far and wide. Allan was born on May 8, 1937, the eldest of two sons to the late Vernon M. and Ina (Slagle) Bandel, who ran a successful dairy farm for many years on Triadelphia Road in Glenelg. He graduated from Howard High School in 1955. He and his wife of 60 years, the former Marilyn Lou Boston, originally from Cambridge, Maryland, also enjoyed spending time with family, traveling, and prior to their move to Miller’s Grant in 2016, gardening at their home in Glenwood, MD. In his younger years, he enjoyed baling hay on his parents’ farm and woodworking. He and Marilyn also loved traveling, and in the 1970s, led an agricultural delegation tour visiting countries including the former USSR. They also enjoyed taking their children and grandchildren along on numerous road trips ranging from Florida to Canada. He took special enjoyment in collecting toy John Deere tractors and maintaining his prolific blueberry patch, the bounty from which he enjoyed sharing with friends and family every summer. He was also an active member of Glenelg United Methodist Church for most of his life and later, Lisbon United Methodist Church, serving in a variety of capacities. Upon his retirement he spent much time writing his memoirs about growing up in rural Howard County, and eventually produced several binders’ worth of stories which are treasured by his family. In addition to his wife, he is survived by his daughter, Cheryl, and son-in law, Scott; son, David, and daughter-in-law, Amy (Gregory); his brother, Donald M. Bandel and sister-in-law, Anne (Dalton); and four grandchildren, Lydia and Braden Wingate and Jake and Jonathan Bandel. Friends may call at Haight Funeral Home & Chapel, 6416 Sykesville Road, Eldersburg, MD 21784, on Thursday, November 7, 2019 from 2 to 4 and 6 to 8PM. A funeral service will be held Friday, November 8, 2019, at 10:30am at Glenelg United Methodist Church, 13900 Burntwoods Road, Glenelg, MD 21737. Interment will follow in McKendree Cemetery, West Friendship, MD. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the Alzheimer’s Association.

Mr. V. Allan Bandel

May 8, 1937 - November 2, 2019