Dr. Jack Kolbert

FREEBURG — Dr. Jack Kolbert, 78, passed away Sunday, Sept. 25, 2005, after a lengthy and valiant battle with pancreatic cancer. Two years ago his beloved wife of 52 years, Ruth, preceded him in the life to come. He resided in the Old Parsonage House of Freeburg since 1986.

An internationally known scholar of French culture, he published 10 books and over 500 articles on French literature and civilization. In 2001, at the age of 74, he had his last book published. This final work was a collaboration with the Nobel Peace laureate Elie Wiesel on the subject of the latter's experience and observations on the Holocaust. He taught at 13 universities in America and France. He retired from Susquehanna University as Professor Emeritus in 1996. Dr. Kolbert had chaired the Department of Modern Languages for many years. He was a member of the selection committee of the Nobel Prize and countless honorary and professional societies. He was twice awarded Fulbright Fellowships and was also a Ford Foundation and Camargo Foundation awards recipient.

Jack touched so many lives in the course of his lifelong involvement with education. He was a mentor to many students, professors, and scholars and his influence will be greatly missed.

He is survived by his two sons, Harry of Albuquerque, N.M. and Shelley of Freeburg; six grandchildren; and five great-grandchildren.

In 1975, 'Sir' Jack and his heirs in perpetuity were conferred the hereditary status of knighthood by the French Republic for meritorious service in the furtherance of education; he was honored by three French presidents, Charles De Gaulle, Valery Giscard d'Estaing, and Francois Mitterrand, and was inducted into France's prestigious Orders of Merit and of the Academic Palms; he also served France as Honorary Consul.

He had been President of the Monterey Institute of International Studies and President of the Albuquerque City Council. He served also as an administrator of the California Academy of Sciences in San Francisco. He received his BA and MA at the University of Southern California and PhD degree at Columbia University. He was a Master of the Sorbonne and Literary Laureate of the University of Paris.

Funeral rites will take place at 2:30 p.m. Wednesday at David T. Zweier's Funeral Home, 157 Chestnut St., Sunbury.

Burial will be in Beth El Cemetery, Northumberland.