Outside of the main entrance to Teagle Hall on the Cornell campus, a Llenroc-stone bench honors the late William Barlow Ware who passed away on December 19 at the age of 86. Like the bench itself, Barlow was rock-solid in his support of and enthusiasm for Cornell for more than half a century. Few Cornellians are better known and respected than Barlow for his unqualified love and total commitment to his university. An exemplary public citizen, Barlow was also a rock-solid and beloved member and benefactor of the Ithaca community, known for his deeply caring nature, dedication, honesty, and good humor. He was an inspired chair for the United Way of Tompkins County, a lifetime supporter of Boy Scouts of America, and a passionate Rotarian. As president of the Ithaca Rotary Club from 1990-1991, he shepherded over one hundred Rotary Foundation Ambassadorial Scholars at Cornell and was named an Honorary District Governor by Rotary International, a first in its history. His many recognitions and awards include some of the top tributes bestowed by both his university and his community. At Cornell, Barlow was named a foremost benefactor in recognition of his volunteerism and philanthropy; he received the Frank H. T. Rhodes Exemplary Alumni Service Award, the university’s highest award for voluntary alumni service; and he was inducted into the Cornell University Athletics Hall of Fame. In his community, Barlow received the 1992 Tompkins County Distinguished Citizen Award, an award presented by the Boy Scouts of America, and served as deacon at St. John’s Episcopal Church. He was recognized as a multiple Paul Harris Fellow, served as a major donor and a benefactor of the Rotary Foundation, and received the Silver Beaver Award for his generosity to the Boy Scouts of America. In 1994, Barlow was named a James E. West Fellow, a national recognition for his contributions to the Boy Scouts of America. In 2000 he received Rotary International’s Distinguished Service Award, a national-level recognition and the organization’s highest honor. Ware once pointed out that the motto on his father’s coat of arms stated, “The only way is to serve the Lord.” “That doesn’t mean you have to become a priest,” he quipped. “Barlow had a generosity of spirit that is unmatched,” said his longtime friend, fellow Rotarian, and Cornellian George Gull, Class of 1972. Gull met Barlow when Gull was a student in the Cornell Glee Club and Barlow was traveling worldwide with the club as a “chaperone”. Born on January 23, 1925, Barlow grew up on the Upper East Side of Manhattan, the son of his father by the same name and his mother, Katherine Taylor Effinger Ware. He attended St. Bernard’s Preparatory School for Young Gentlemen in New York City and graduated from Woodberry Forest School in Woodberry Forest, Virginia. Barlow matriculated at Cornell University in 1943 intending to become a farmer. He studied agriculture in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, earning his bachelor of science degree in 1947. The son of a long line of doctors, lawyers, and business executives, Barlow had told no one of his decision to study at Cornell until after his admission. But as a freshman his farming ambitions ended after he took a hands-on practice course. “I was shocked to find out what farming really meant,” he reported. While his aspirations changed, the value he placed on hard work, generosity, and service did not. A man of action and integrity, he devoted his life to helping the institutions and people he loved. After graduating from Cornell, Barlow worked in successive posts for the Great Atlantic and Pacific Tea Co., later known as the A&P grocery chain. Then he returned to his alma mater in 1955 to launch a lifetime career in alumni relations and development. He served as associate director in Cornell’s development office from 1955 to 1986 and director of special projects from 1986 to 1996. He officially retired from Alumni Affairs and Development in 1996, but continued to work without pay for 11 additional years, until 2007, retaining his title. Linda Pearce Kabelac, Cornell Class of 1969, a major gifts officer in the division, was among those he hired and mentored. “We worked together for over 30 years and shared a mutual love of Cornell. Over time our bond grew so that we became family for each other and lifetime friends.” For Cornell Barlow was an effective fundraiser, a skilled administrator, and a distinctive and welcomed one-man cheering squad. He did not find it necessary to distinguish his avocation from his vocation or his personal interests from his professional career. As a student Barlow had managed the wrestling team, served as the president of the Wrestling Club, and participated in the Dramatic Club and Octagon Club. His fun-spirited approach and devotion to athletics carried into his adult years. He happily donned the bear costume as the Big Red mascot and coined the welcome, “Good evening, hockey fans,” at Lynah Rink from its opening days in 1957. For 30 years he was the public announcer for Big Red football and hockey games. Barlow was a leader in the Cornell Class of 1947; a member of the Glee Club Advisory Council and the Cornell Plantations Advisory Board; an historian for the Quill & Dagger’s Alumni Association, which also awarded him the organization’s Clark S. Northrup Centenary Award; and a voluntary leader of and mentor to the Chi Phi fraternity. Barlow’s philanthropy at Cornell extended from the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences to the Johnson Museum of Art, and from the Cornell University Library to undergraduate student scholarships. He bequeathed the bulk of his estate to provide unrestricted support for the Department of Athletics and Physical Education. “Barlow was a consummate Cornellian, as an alumnus, as a volunteer leader, and as a staff member for more than half a century in Alumni Affairs and Development,” said Charles P. Phlegar, vice president of Cornell’s Division of Alumni Affairs and Development. “His lifelong service and dedication inspired us all and touched us deeply. His influence was lasting, and he will be missed by Cornellians everywhere.” During his last four years, Barlow resided at Bridges of Cornell Heights, an enhanced assisted living home north of Cornell’s Ithaca campus. He won the great affection of his fellow residents as well as the facility’s staff members, for whom Barlow expressed deep appreciation for their loving and generous attention. “Very simply, he loved them, and they loved him,” Gull reported. Barlow is survived by several cousins, including Mrs. Robert (Mary) Effinger of Rome, GA; Carolyn Robbins Laflin of Phoenix, AZ; Patricia Robbins Caldwell of Northfield, IL; and Herbert McKelden Smith of Staunton, VA. A memorial service will held on Sunday, February 5, from 2:00-3:00 p.m., at St. John’s Episcopal Church, 210 N. Cayuga St., Ithaca, NY. “A Celebration of the Life of W. Barlow Ware” will be held on Sunday, February 5 at the Cornell Athletic Hall of Fame Room, from 3:30-5:00 p.m. on the Cornell University campus. Gifts in memory of Barlow may be made to Cornell University in support of the Cornell Glee Club Endowment Fund. Mail gifts to Linda Pearce Kabelac, Office of Alumni Affairs and Development, 130 E. Seneca St., Suite 400, Ithaca, NY 14850-4353.

Source:  Ithaca Journal from Jan. 7 to Jan. 30, 2012