[NFBWATLK] Fwd: Obituary of Frank Kurt Cylke

[Denise Mackenstadt]

Kurt Cylke was a member of the NFB and good friend of the blind. 

Denise Mackenstadt
206-419-9555
cane.travel at gmail.com
Sent from my iPad

Begin forwarded message:

> From: Carl Jarvis <carjar82 at gmail.com>
> Date: April 19, 2019 at 5:50:27 PM PDT
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> Cc: "cane.travel" <cane.travel at gmail.com>
> Subject: Obituary of Frank Kurt Cylke
> 
>> Sent: Friday, April 19, 2019 12:12 PM
> From: Leadership at acblists.org
>> Subject: [leadership] Obituary of Frank Kurt Cylke
>> 
>> Obituary of Frank Kurt Cylke Sr.
>> 
>> Kurt Cylke died on Thursday, April 17, 2019. He was born in New Haven,
>> Connecticut on February 13, 1932 to his dear parents, Helen and Frank
>> Cylke. He
>> 
>> loved his family. And he was proud to have been a “librarian”.
>> 
>> Kurt defined his professional career as a mission - to open the worlds
>> of knowledge, learning and scholarship to the young, the old, the
>> rich, the poor,
>> 
>> the well-educated and the poorly educated. He lived out this mission
>> at school and university libraries in Palm Beach and New Haven; at
>> city public libraries
>> 
>> in Bridgeport, New Haven and Providence; as a volunteer at the county
>> library in Great Falls; through gifts of his treasured book
>> collections - Arthur
>> 
>> Ransome to Georgetown University and Moby Dick to Mystic Marine
>> Museum; at United States government libraries, as chair of the Federal
>> Library Committee;
>> 
>> and, most distinctively, in his 38 year tenure as Director of the
>> National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped,
>> Library of Congress.
>> 
>> A career captured by an overriding idea. He believed libraries should
>> be available and open to everyone, without distinction.
>> 
>> Kurt’s career commitment to librarianship is reflected by the Joseph
>> W. Lippincott Award, given to him by the American Library Association
>> for a lifetime
>> 
>> of distinguished service.
>> 
>> In retirement, Kurt continued his lifelong love of books and reading.
>> His preferences were long and varied. He also continued to treasure
>> Great Falls,
>> 
>> as a volunteer at the National Park and as an avid bird watcher with
>> early morning groups. Kurt also was a member of the Knights of
>> Columbus and member
>> 
>> in good standing of the Crow’s Nest Officer Club, Saint John’s
>> Newfoundland. But none of these activities matched the enthusiasm and
>> energy that he devoted
>> 
>> to the Apostleship of the Sea with weekly visits to the seafarers at
>> the Port of Baltimore.
>> 
>> Kurt’s beloved family was the most meaningful consideration in his own
>> understanding of life and legacy. His wife Mary, son Kurt Jr. (Anna),
>> daughters
>> 
>> Amanda (Jeff) and Virginia (Mark), grandsons Michael, Callaghan,
>> Thomas, granddaughters Molly and Harper, and his brother Owen (Nancy).
>> And it is probably
>> 
>> safe to say that each of them, and countless other colleagues, friends
>> and volunteers, will continue to recall “Poppy’s” lifelong association
>> with books,
>> 
>> boats and birds. Those who knew Kurt will remember his advice, taken
>> from Arthur Ransome, “Grab a chance and don’t be sorry for a might
>> have been. “
>> 
>> He did much to benefit people who are blind through his leadership of
>> NLS for 38 years. May he rest in peace!
>> 
>> Kim Charlson
>>