Philip Harry, PhD Age - 84 Barck

BARCK, PhD, PHILIP HARRY Passed away on August 22, 2011 at age 84. He was the son of Harry Frederick and Pauline Hekel Barck who instilled a strong work ethic and the love of learning. Both passions were reinforced at a one-room school, Eddy #2, where responsibility expectations for the school community increased each year from grade 1 through 8. As his world expanded and the incongruities of life became more apparent, a wry sense of humor grew. It rarely failed him and allowed him help others understand ideas and situations. He could create a joke appropriate to almost any situation.\r\n His world dramatically expanded as soon as her graduated from high school in 1944. Because it was his duty as a citizen, he enlisted in the U.S. Navy and was sent to Great Lakes Naval Training Center in Illinois on Lake Michigan. After basic training, he qualified for training as a radio operator in New Orleans. Upon successful completion, he was sent to the Mayport Naval Station in Florida as a tower radio operator to await a permanent ship assignment. He was still there when the nation received news of two Japanese surrenders. The first announcement – based on rumor – was circulated in July, 1945, and it brought a huge, but short celebration at Mayport. (In retrospect, he learned that his future wife was also witnessing the celebration but from the other side of the St. Johns River.) The real surrender of August 15, 1945, brought an equally enthusiastic but a much longer celebration at the naval station. After discharge a year later, he took advantage of the G.I. Bill of Rights. \r\n Appreciation of learning led him to earn four degrees: Bachelors (Iowa State Teachers College), Masters (Eastern NM University), Ed. Specialists (University of Northern Arizona), and PhD (University of Arizona). He used this knowledge to inspire secondary students to love math and science in Iowa (Lamont), New Mexico (Floyd, Farmington, and Los Alamos), and Arizona (Sunny Side). He taught courses in educational administration at the graduate level in the College of Education at NM State University. He served as an administrator, usually for student assessment and computer support for instruction and support programs at the New Mexico Department of Education and public schools of Aztec and Los Alamos.\r\n He was a 50-year member of the International Association of Square Dance Callers which permitted him to teach and call square dancing. As a retiree, he joined AARP and, for several years, taught its Driver Safety Program for the Espanola area. He became an active member of the New Mexico Association of Educational Retirees because its mission was to promote professional, intellectual, social and physical well-being of retirees. He was elected to hold four different positions on its Executive Board. To each position, he brought dedications, knowledge, creativity and wit.\r\n His values have been passed to his daughters: Col. Emily S. Perry (Heidelberg, Germany) and Rebecca B. Schulman, PhD (Baltimore, MD). He is survived by his wife, Jeanne of the home; two grandchildren, Luke and Adelaide (MD); and his sister, Carol Barck Clayton (Corydon, IA)\r\n A memorial service is planned for October 12, 2011 at 10:30 a.m. at DeVargas Funeral Home & Crematory followed by a reception and interment at the Santa Fe National Cemetery in Santa Fe at 2:15 p.m. For more information, contact DeVargas Funeral Home (623 No. Railroad Ave. in Espanola) at 505-747-7477 or 887-747-3600 or www.devargasfuneral.com.\r\n The Barck family wishes to thank the medical, therapy, support, and administrative staffs of the Espanola Valley Nursing and Rehabilitation Center for the skilled and caring attention given to this patient and his care-givers. Their care and understanding gave us an unexpected sense of peace and comfort. This institution represents excellence in providing professional and supportive service to this fragile population. \r\n In lieu of flowers, a donation is requested to any cancer research foundation, especially to the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Research Center (212-639-2000 or PO Box 27106; New York, NY, 10087. It does have a brain cancer research program.\r\n \r\n

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