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Bernard Augustine McCue
Bernard Augustine "Bernie" McCue, 80, of State College, died Friday, September
1, 2017, at his home.
Bernie was born in Armstrong County on March 6, 1937. He was the son of the late
John D. and Cathern S. (McGrady) McCue.
Bernie lived on the family farm until 1955 when he entered college. He attended
a two-room school in Craigsville through seventh grade and graduated as
valedictorian from Worthington West Franklin High School in 1955. In the fall of
that year, he entered Indiana University of Pennsylvania as a freshmen
graduating in 1959 with a Bachelor of Science degree with majors in physics and
mathematics.
While attending Indiana University, he participated in the Reserve Officer
Training Corp. program and upon graduation entered the U.S. Army Signal Corp. as
a second lieutenant. He attended and graduated from the Signal Corp's officer
microwave radio school at Fort Monmouth, N.J. Upon completion, he was assigned
to the 304th Signal Battalion in Seoul, Korea for a 13-month tour of duty which
included vacations in Hawaii and Japan and a hiking trip to the top of Mt.
Fuji.
Upon completion of his military obligation, he was admitted to Penn State
University as a graduate student in physics. In the Fall of 1963, he left Penn
State and for a year taught physics at Bridgewater Raritan High School in New
Jersey but after a less than pleasant experience in high school teaching, he
spent several weeks vacationing in Europe and returned to Penn State in the Fall
of 1964 and graduated in June 1965 with a Master of Education degree in physics.
After a brief period employed as a design engineer with McCreary Tire and Rubber
Company in Indiana, Pa., he spent nearly a year helping to build a new home for
his parents.
In 1967, he returned to Penn State as a PhD candidate but because of the
time-consuming involvement in the Anti-Vietnam War movement and the
contradiction of doing research funded by the Department of Defense, he dropped
out of the PhD program never to return. The years that followed were spiced with
variety and included a leadership role in Anti-War activities and the Eugene
McCarthy presidential campaign, working in restaurants, landscaping, substitute
teaching, resident manager of two rooming houses, a hitchhiking vacation to
Maine, trips to southern and western U.S. and in 1976 a vacation to Ireland and
mainland Europe with his parents. In 1983, he accepted a position as a
Mathematics Instructor at Penn State and in 1987 became Director of Penn State's
Math Center and continued in both capacities until his retirement in June 2002.
Other interests which consumed large amounts of his time included a second trip
to Ireland in 1998, tutoring, gardening, reading, music, Penn State and
Pittsburgh Steelers football, cooking, politics and related debate, letter
writing, and phone calls to politicians.
Bernie is survived by six brothers, Donald J. McCue and his wife, Rose, of
Dunbar, William R. McCue of Penn Hills, Melvin J. McCue and his wife, Eileen, of
Fenelton, Paul D. McCue and his wife, Donna, of Fenelton, Kenneth L. McCue and
his wife, Nancy, of Worthington, and David M. McCue and his wife, Linda, of
Worthington; close friends Randy and Judy Tice of St. College, as well as a
number of nieces, nephews, great-nieces and nephews.
In addition to his parents, Bernie was preceded in death by four brothers, Wayne
C. McCue in 1994, Raymond P. McCue in 2004, Gary L. McCue in 2009, and John L.
McCue in 2016, as well as four sisters-in-law.
Friends will be received at the Hile Funeral Home of Chicora, 339 Chicora
Fenelton Road, Chicora, from 2-4 and 7-9 p.m. Saturday.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Butler, Worthington, or Armstrong
County Libraries or to the Senior Citizen
Center in Worthington.
Arrangments by Hile Funeral Home of Chicora, Pa. |
