Former Iowa Public Radio journalist Rob Dillard died this week due to complications from pancreatic cancer at the age of 73.
Dillard began working in public radio in 2000, hosting Morning Edition at WOI in Ames. A few years later, he moved into the role of correspondent. He also served as IPR's interim news director in the early 2010s.
Before he was a regular voice on IPR, Dillard was a mime in Maine, a commercial radio newscaster in Clinton and provided media relations for Central College in Pella.
During an IPR interview about his retirement in 2020, Dillard said it took him to the age of 50 to find the perfect job.
“I had always wanted to be surrounded by an art form that talked about culture, what's going on in the world," Dillard said on IPR's Talk of Iowa. "And when I arrived in public radio, I realized I'd found what I'd been wanting to do for 30 years."
Dillard’s proudest accomplishment was creating the long-running IPR series Being in Iowa. His stories uplifted the voices of underrepresented Iowans and focused on topics such as racial diversity, religion, the experiences of veterans and people with disabilities.
"Rob seemed to be interested in so many things and so many different people," said IPR News Director Michael Leland. "He loved learning about different people and helping them tell their stories. He was well-suited for public radio and we're fortunate he spent so much time with us."
