[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 20 (Wednesday, February 3, 2021)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E100-E101]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                   HONORING THE LIFE OF GENE BARBARET

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. JOE COURTNEY

                             of connecticut

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, February 3, 2021

  Mr COURTNEY. Madam Speaker, it is with great regret that I rise today 
to mourn and observe the passing of an eternal educator, Dr. Gene 
Barbaret of Mansfield, Connecticut. Having lived a full and active 
life, Gene passed away on his 101st birthday on January 11, 2021 due to 
complications related to the coronavirus.
  Gene's life was intrinsically American, and he dedicated his 
lifeforce toward professorial teaching and sharpening the mind. To this 
end, Gene contributed a palpable value toward the strength and 
productivity of eastern Connecticut's conununity, the region I have the 
honor of representing. Dr. Barbaret, a first-generation scholar born to 
parents who inunigrated from Alsace, France, was always eager to 
observe and take from his environment as the youngest of eight 
siblings. His story will be remembered by many as one of vigor, 
decency, and a passion for cultural enrichment.
  As a lifelong learner, Gene was always destined to become the wisest 
of educators. His potential in the education industry was reflected 
from the start, such as when he graduated covaledictorian from 
Watertown High School in his hometown of Oakville, Connecticut. His 
deep French roots struck a clear cord with him from early on as well, 
motivating Mr. Barbaret to achieve a bachelors degree in French studies 
in 1941. Taking a break from his studies, Gene heeded the call to serve 
in the U.S. Army Air Corps during World War II. Upon his return from 
the war, however, Gene resumed a determined effort to expand upon his 
roots--transitioning his education to Princeton University and going on 
to achieve a masters and subsequent doctoral degree in French 
literature by 1951.
  Not one to let knowledge go to waste, Gene brought his specialization 
back to our home state of Connecticut before obtaining his doctoral in 
1949, marking the genesis of a career in sharing his experience as a 
faculty of the University of Connecticut (UConn). Dr. Barbaret went on 
to educate French Literature within UConn's Department of Modem and 
Classical Languages, building a true and personal connection to the 
University over the course of 40 years. He achieved this not by simply 
mastering lectures, but also by broadening his perspective alongside 
the very students he taught. As a professor, he personally oversaw the 
University's year long study abroad program to France, journeying with 
certain students across the Atlantic to better understand the 
international community and our place in it. Dr. Barbaret's impact 
cannot be understated--throughout his long tenure he came to be 
recognized with a variety of honors and accolades, eventually even 
becoming knighted as a chevalier by the French government for his 
contributions to the nation's culture. As a fondly remembered mentor 
and a good scholar, multiple scholarship funds were established under 
the University in his name to stimulate excellence in French.
  Dr. Barbaret retired from UConn in 1990 as a revered professor 
emeritus. Though UConn

[[Page E101]]

will always be his home as his eternal resting place, it should be 
noted that he engaged in a gregarious retirement, frequently travelling 
back to his heritage in France as well as other stints within Europe. 
He never gave up on the affinity for education either, acting as a 
volunteer teacher at the Donald Bergin Correction Institution, a board 
member of the Center for Leaming in Retirement, and even initiating a 
weekly French conversational circle at the Mansfield Senior Center well 
into his latest years. Dr. Barbaret touched the lives of many who hail 
from eastern Connecticut.
  Madam Speaker, it is an honor to represent constituents as monumental 
and influential as Gene. His legacy is a lasting and tangible one, 
having expanded horizons for not only himself, but the lives of 
thousands of students, colleagues, and friends, While we all mourn his 
loss, we can at least find solace that his story, memory and purpose 
lives on in the lives of countless others. Therefore, I find it fitting 
that we as a institutional body set his name and character further into 
stone. I ask that the entire House join me in recognizing the life of 
Dr. Gene Barbaret and never forgetting that the best educators--and by 
extension leaders--never end their quest of learning.

                          ____________________