Paul Warren Bixby, 98, of State College, passed away on Friday, December 14, 2012, at Foxdale Village, one week shy of his ninety-ninth birthday.
Born December 22, 1913, in Richville, Otter Tail County, Minnesota. He was the oldest of five children of the late John Loren and Cora Epler Davis Bixby. On June 1, 1935 he married Ruth Jane Lowry, of Fergus Falls, MN, who died May 8, 1988. In 1988 Paul married Mae Smith, who died in 2000.
He is survived by three children, Jeansylvia Anderson, of Blossburg, Mark P. Bixby and his wife, Angela, of Wellsboro, Mary J. Kisner and her husband, Bert, of Boalsburg, two sisters; Janice Vance, of St. Paul, MN, June Emmert, of Rockville, MD, nine grandchildren, sixteen great grandchildren and four great great grandchildren.
Paul earned three formal degrees in the field of education: a B.Ed. from Minnesota State College, St. Cloud, MN in 1937; a M.A. from the University of MN in 1941; and a Ed.D. from Columbia University Teachers College in 1943. He was a rural school teacher in Otter Tail County, MN, from 1932 to 1935; a junior high school teacher in St. Cloud, MN from 1937-1941; Assistant Principal of Horace Mann Elementary School in New York City from 1942-1943. He was a Principal of Elementary Schools in Greenwich, CT and in Millburn, NJ from 1943-1947. He and his family moved to State College in 1947. At Penn State’s College of Education, Paul served in many positions including a Professor, Department Head, Assistant and Associate Dean and Coordinator of International Programs. He retired as Professor Emeritus in 1979. His special assignments for Penn State included Visiting Professor at the University of the Philippines with joint sponsorship with Stanford University and the Agency for International Development (AID) in 1955-1956. He managed the US training for Peace Corps groups headed for service in the Philippines in 1961-1962. In 1966 he served as an in-service consultant to the Teachers Colleges of the Philippines and interviewed Peace Corps Volunteers in the field for graduate scholarships in the US Universities after their service in Malaysia, Nepal, India, Iran, Turkey, and Central America. In 1979-1980 he served as Visiting Scholar at Silliman University, Philippines.
Over the years Paul has been a member of the State College Presbyterian Church, a participant in the International Hospitality Council, delivered Meals on Wheels, served as a Board Member for the United Campus Ministry and a member of Rotary.
A memorial service will be held at a later date in early January 2013 at the Foxdale Village Auditorium, 500 East Marylyn Avenue, State College.
Burial will be at Centre County Memorial Park at the convenience of the family.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Foxdale Village at http://foxdalevillage.org/giving/contribute.html or 500 East Marylyn Avenue, State College, PA 16801 in memory of Paul Bixby.
Arrangements are under the care of Koch Funeral Home, State College. Online condolences and signing of the guest book may be entered at www.kochfuneralhome.com.