Barbara Quirk

Barb Quirk: In Remembrance:

A wise man once said, “Let me explain, no, there is too much. Let me sum up”. This humorous but apt quote from The Princess Bride will give you an idea of the challenge of attempting to chronicle someone’s life, especially someone as remarkable as Barb Quirk. Let’s get some of the basics out of the way. Born and raised in Vincennes Indiana, Barb grew up with two brothers and two sisters, but also both of her grandmothers. Living with these beloved women helped to form her tender love for and commitment to older adult and came full circle when she became the most loving and amazing grandmother to her own nine grandchildren. What joy she gave and received in this special role!

Barb became a nurse in the mid-1950’s and married a young graduate student, Tom Quirk, in 1958 because, she said, he was the most interesting of all the young men she dated and he made her laugh; something he continued to do for 54 years of marriage. With three kids in three years and another coming a few years later, Barb was no stranger to hard work. While Tom worked on his Ph.D., Barb worked nights to support the family.  She returned to school to become a Geriatric Nurse Practitioner, in the first class of this program offered at UW-Madison.

Barb’s work was her true passion. In the early days she worked in a nursing home, then became the Nurse Practitioner for the low-income seniors at the Brittingham apartments, ministering to a population with unique challenges. The whole family remembers getting middle-of-the-night phone calls from Woody!  One of Barb’s greatest achievements was to help open a memory disorders clinic with The Dean Clinic; only the fifth such clinic in the nation. A skilled Nurse Practitioner, Barb moved from clinical care to education and advocacy, speaking locally, around the US and the globe which she called “Nursing here, there and everywhere.”

Her thirst for learning and interest in improving the care of and outcomes for older adults was limitless. Her weekly column, called imAGEs, ran in the Capital Times for about 20 years, covering topics related to health and aging as well as politics and social issues. Politically active, Barb was a dedicated poll worker and in her farewell conversations with her grandchildren, made sure all of them had a plan to vote in the upcoming election. Every election, every choice was made with the intent to improve the lives of others. Her advocacy didn’t stop when she moved to Oakwood and took on the bureaucracy to fight for more equitable housing for her neighbors there.  Throwing herself into every committee, she will be dearly missed by her fellow writers and many friends on the Oakwood campus. Thank you to the many neighbors there who stopped us in the hallways to share anecdotes about Barb and to send to her their love and good wishes.

Tom and Barb’s home on nearby Franklin Avenue and their neighborhood would help to define her for many years to come. The stone house with the red door was open, literally and figuratively, to a wide assortment of children, pets and folks needing a place to stay while navigating the vagaries of life. Students whose car batteries died while parked in front of their house would get a jump-start, some baked goodies and $20 tucked in their pocket before driving away. Generosity and love were not mere ideas, they were lived out every day by Barb and Tom. She will be missed by the loving neighbors who checked in with her frequently and kept her up to date with all the gossip. Thank you especially to Marcia, Melanie, Bruce, Zeke, Tom and others for your love and companionship.

She lost both brothers, Tom and Robert and her sister Margaret but is survived by her beloved younger sister, Mary Sue “Susie” Wathen. Barb is celebrated by her children, Amy (Eric), Chris (Kim), Matt (Peggy) and Kate (Dave) as well as her nine grandchildren, nieces and nephews. As significant as that is, however, it hardly scratches the surface.

Family. Barb has a large and ramifying family. That is what we would call the family by blood. They, as a group, may be the most significant part of her family, but are also the smallest.

Barb Quirk grew her family everywhere she went and from our earliest memories of her, she always had. From the neighborhood from which many of her oldest and dearest friends came, from her career as a nurse, advocate and writer, from her social and professional groups like Toastmasters, the Mediocre Book Club and the John XXIII Society, even from her time in the hospital at the end of her days, Barb grew her family.

We, her biological children never lacked for her love and concern as a mom. Like all humans, Barb had her foibles and trials, but her love was never in question and there always seemed like there was more than enough to go around. Barb always seemed to have an effortless way of bringing people into her orbit. Barb was gregarious, generous and concerned and seemed effortless in her sociability. She was genuinely interested in the people she met, befriended and loved and that was probably her greatest gift.

To that family I will address my last comments. First of all, one of Barb’s mantras that I can remember all the days of my life, “You are loved”. There are so many of you, so many of us. She was my mom, my confidant, my supporter, my champion and she was these things for you as well as for me. Thanks Barb Quirk, you will be missed, you will be remembered, you will be loved.

Donations can be made to Catholic Health Charities in her name and in honor of Vanessa Kinder.

Cress Funeral & Cremation Services

3610 Speedway Road

(608) 238-3434