Obituary of George William Tucker

GEORGE WILLIAM TUCKER, age 78 and formerly of Abington,PA, died on November 6, 2010, in Honey Brook, PA after several years of health battles and nursing care. George W. was born on December 21, 1931 in New York, NY to Josephine Robider Tucker and George Clarence Tucker. While young, his family moved to Caldwell, NJ where he enjoyed frequent trips to NYC with his mother to visit museums, shops and see movies. He graduated from Caldwell High School, and earned a Bachelor's Degree in Architecture and a Master's Degree in Regional/City Planning from Cornell University. As an architecture student, he was selected to erect a geodesic dome for inventor Buckminster Fuller who was impressed that George had erected the dome, designed by Fuller, with unprecedented swiftness. He wrote his master's thesis about Grand Central Station, New York City. While at Cornell, George was a member of ROTC. He subsequently served two years as the Korean War was coming to an end and was honorably discharged as a First Lieutenant. A member of Mensa and REAP of Elkins Park, he had a lifelong fascination with trains, bridges, art, architecture, photography, music, learning and teaching. With his wife, Ann Batchelder, whom he met at Cornell, he made countless trips to museums in Philadelphia and New York City, and several journeys to enjoy the art and architecture of Europe. George also enjoyed hiking in the outdoors and doting on his faithful dogs. He worked in Philadelphia and New York City largely in the area of urban policy-making. A point of professional pride was several years spent working as technical director and director of the Philadelphia Community Renewal Program, which he described as an early example of building investment models for urban living, and a project which formed the basis of Lyndon Johnson's U.S. Model Cities Program. George was considered an independent, powerful thinker with a talent for synthesizing broad and dynamic factors, and projecting implications and outcomes. Following retirement from city planning, he obtained a Master's Degree in Education from Arcadia College after which he was a substitute teacher and tutor in Math and Physics for several years. George was preceded in death by Ann Batchelder Tucker, his wife of 56 years. He is survived by his daughter Ann Brevoort Tucker (Larry Jalowiec) of Quakertown, PA and his two sons George Marius Tucker (Joan Genua) of New Holland, PA, and James Arthur Tucker (Natalie Anderson) of Apache Junction, AZ. He is survived by seven grandchildren: Dylan Tucker Jalowiec and Travis Robider Jalowiec; Stephen Ralph Tucker (Jennifer Padron) and Daniel George Tucker; and Nathan James Tucker, Emerson William Tucker and Margaret Ann Tucker. His memorial service will be held at 2 p.m., Wednesday, November 24, 2010 at Richland Friends Meeting (Quaker) at the corner of Route 309 and Mill Street, Quakertown, PA, 18951. In lieu of flowers, the family respectfully requests that donations be made in his name to one of George's favorite destinations, the Wharton Escherick Museum, PO Box 595, Paoli, PA 19301-0595.