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Man remembered for love of Lilly, family

Longtime resident fond of community, work as paramedic

Some called him “Mr. Lilly.” Others called him “Pappy Jack.”

But mayor and dad were appropriate titles, too, for John T. “Jack” Barlick Jr., who is being remembered by many as a man who loved his hometown, his family, his work and life.

“He’ll be remembered for so many things he’s done for Lilly,” borough council President Richard Sweeney said.  “He’s always had the interest of Lilly at heart, and he loved to get involved in things. He was always on the go.”

The 73-year-old Barlick, who died Tuesday at UPMC Altoona Hospital, will be buried today in Lilly after a funeral mass at Our Lady of the Alleghenies Catholic Church.

“My father had been dealing with his fourth bout of lung cancer,” daughter Cathy Barlick-Nadolsky said Sunday. “He was on a breathing machine for nine days.”

After being  removed from the machine, Barlick had time to speak with his family.

“That’s when he told us that he thought he had accomplished a ‘few’ things,” the daughter said.

Barlick’s lifetime of community service includes leadership positions with the borough, Penn Cambria School Board, the Lilly Fire Company, the Lilly Ambulance Association, the Central District Volunteer Fireman’s Association, the Lilly/Washington Historical Society, the Lilly American Legion, the Lilly-Washington War Memorial Association and the Sankertown VFW.

In 2006, Barlick coordinated an effort leading to the dedication of a momument in Lilly to honor Civil War veterans in the 55th Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry Regiment, which included men from Cambria, Blair and Bedford counties. And he was supportive of the effort, in 2011, to unveil the large Coal Miners Memorial, recognizing Lilly as the pioneer coal company town of Cambria County.

In addition, Barlick authored a 408-page book, “The Military Spirit of the Community,” detailing the lives of 250 veterans from the Lilly area.

“He had a great memory,” said Beverly Mandichak, secretary of the Lilly/Washington Historical Society. “He could tell you about every local veteran and their war.”

Barlick also spearheaded town reunions, she said, and for the most recent one, led the effort to recognize all of the town’s residents who were at least 90 years old.

“Lilly was his hometown, and he was as proud of it as he could be,” Mandichak said.

Barlick, who graduated in 1961 from Lilly-Washington High School, served in the Army and Navy, with an assignment in Vietnam, before returning to Lilly and pursuing a career as a paramedic. He worked 23 years for AMED in Altoona before retiring.

Barlick-Nadolsky said her father touched the lives of many paramedics who, while offering their sympathies, added their appreciation of her father’s knowledge and encouraging words.

“He led so many people in their careers,” Barlick-Nadolsky’s sister, Natalie Barlick-Reed, added.

Edie McCloskey, who grew up in Lilly near the Barlick family, said she’ll also miss Barlick’s column, “Lilly Lines,” published in the weekly Mainliner newspaper.

“He would write about what was going on with birthdays and the town’s events, but he’d add that personal touch about when he saw the first robin,  when the hummingbirds are back,” McCloskey said.

His column in early January praised local road crews for keeping the streets in good condition. And, in that same column, he described an old-timer as someone “who went to bed before the ball was let loose on Times Square.”

“I’ll miss his sense of humor, too,” McCloskey said.

Mirror Staff Writer Kay Stephens is at 946-7456.

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