Herb Quick

Growing up during the depression, on a farm in New York state with no electricity or running water, Herb Quick would never have dreamed that his life would take him from a one room schoolhouse to live in 5 different countries (Austria, France, Switzerland, England, and Indonesia), obtain a Master’s degree from Middlebury, study at the Sorbonne, or live the last 20 years of his life in California. He had hope, he once explained, because his life had expanded at every juncture.

Much beloved by his students, Herb taught for 45 years but was also a life-long learner himself, continuing to expand his horizons after retirement with OLLI seminars and with theater and music events at UCI. He loved walks and nature and could often be found, camera in hand, exploring Mason Park, Laguna Beach, or Sherman Gardens.

He served in the Army during the Korean War, and was an active member of Quaker Meetings in Pennsylvania and California. Herb was a sought-after mentor to countless students and other young people, to the point that one student from his school in Pennsylvania showed up on his doorstep in Crediton, England, seeking advice. Always engaged in issues of social justice, he worked with a prison outreach program for 12 years in Pennsylvania and was a founding member of Seniors for Racial Justice at Regents Point.

He was a wise, kind, funny, and loving husband, father, and grandfather. He is survived by his wife of 59 years, Gwen, his daughters Kathy Quick (Guillermo Narvaez), Jennifer Jones (Ed Jones), and granddaughter Sonia Narvaez-Quick.