Dr. Barbara Ložar, 65, of Eau Claire, died on Thursday August 11, 2011 at Dove South as a result of two strokes.
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Barbara was born in Trbovlje, Yugoslavia, now known as the Republic of Slovenia, on December 3, 1945 to Marta Meterc Ložar and Rajko Ložar. At the age of 12 she immigrated to the United States where her family settled in
Wauwatosa, Wisconsin. Barbara held dual citizenship and as an adult, she returned to Slovenia every summer to visit relatives and friends. She was preceded in death by her parents. She is survived by her godmother, Miroslava
(Košak) Ložar; five cousins: Boštjan Ložar, Helena Franciška
(Ložar) Podlogar, Barbara Marija (Ložar) Kušic, Marija (Ložar)
Aksmanovic, and Tomaž Ložar, and the children and grandchildren of these cousins. |
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Barbara earned her B.A. with Honors in French at Lake Forest College and her Ph.D. at the University of Chicago. Her doctorate was in Developmental Psychology, with a specialization in human language. She was fluent in five languages and had a working knowledge of several others.
Barbara joined the Department of Psychology faculty at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire in 1972. She was one of the first women to chair a department in the College of Arts and Sciences and was a leader in most of the curricular initiatives that took place during her tenure at UW-Eau Claire. She served as Chair of the University Senate (then known as the Faculty Senate) and was a strong advocate for faculty governance. Barbara was among the longest serving members of the faculty, with nearly four decades of continuous service.
Barbara was a scholar, through and through. Hers was a life of continual learning, and of promoting the learning of others. She was as invested in the success of her first year, at-risk students as she was in the success of her graduate students. Her deep interest in learners who use English as a second language arose from her own history of entering junior high school in the United States, speaking no English. A self-taught English speaker, she developed a command of the language that few native speakers ever achieve. Barbara was honored with the Student Development and Diversity Teacher/Scholar Award in 2008.
Barbara was a long-time member of the Randall Park Neighborhood Association and was serving as vice-chair of the city's Landmarks Commission at the time of her death.
An avid cyclist, skier, and gardener, Barbara loved being outdoors. Her primary mode of transportation was walking and her purposeful stride was recognizable from a distance. She took great delight in baking and her students, colleagues and friends especially enjoyed her exquisite Christmas cookies. She had a deep appreciation of opera and was an aficionado of selected programs on National Public Radio. She was an extremely generous philanthropist, supporting a broad array of causes related to higher education, preservation of the natural world, and human and animal welfare. She was a woman of quick, subtle wit and a brilliant mind.
Barbara dedicated her entire adult life to serving the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire. She served tirelessly and with unfailing dedication. In addition to her beloved family in Slovenia, the students, staff and faculty at UW-Eau Claire became her American family. Quoting a recent statement by one of her family members, "Barbara was in love with her work." Her love of learning, her passion for the University, and her contributions to the University community were unsurpassed.
To celebrate Barbara's lasting impact on UW-Eau Claire, the Barbara Ložar Psychology Scholarship has been established. Memorials may be directed to the UW-Eau Claire Foundation, P.O. Box 4004, Eau Claire, WI 54702-4004.
Barbara’s family and friends wish to extend deep appreciation to the staff members of St. Mary’s Hospital, the Mayo Health Systems rehabilitation facility in Bloomer, Luther Hospital, Dove HealthCare South, and Mayo Health Systems Hospice for the outstanding, compassionate care they provided to Barbara during her illness.
Barbara’s passing leaves an enormous void. She will be missed greatly and remembered fondly by her family, her neighbors, her students, her colleagues, and her many friends.
A ceremony honoring Barbara’s life will be held Tuesday, August 30 in the Council Fire Room of Davies Center on the UW-Eau Claire campus. Music will begin at 3:30 PM for those who wish to gather beforehand, and the program will begin at 4:00 PM. Free, reserved parking will be available in the Zorn Arena parking lot, which can be entered from Park Avenue.
To sign the guestbook online, please visit www.fullerspeckienhulke.com.
Fuller Speckien Hulke Funeral Home, 3209 Rudolph Rd., Eau Claire, WI 54701 is assisting the family with arrangements.
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