Obituaries - AMBUSH Mag 2000

obituaries

Volume 17/Issue 9

Robert Udick, 41, Activist & Teacher
by John Pope, Times/Picayune, 4.16.99 udick

Robert A. Udick, a Gay-rights advocate, college teacher and philanthropist, died Wed., Apr. 14, of complications from AIDS at his home in New Orleans. He was 41. A native of Bellevue, NB, who had lived in New Orleans off and on since 1983, Mr. Udick was involved in Gay causes since his days at Louisiana State University, where he earned a bachelor's degree in history and a master's degree in political science in the early 1980s.

Besides serving as an officer of Students for Gay Awareness at LSU, he helped organize the 1981 Southeastern Conference of Lesbians and Gay Men in Baton Rouge.

In 1994, Mr. Udick received a doctorate in social sciences from Syracuse University. He wrote his dissertation on the concept of civic journalism, or journalism that serves a civic purpose. He taught political science at Colgate University and history at LSU.

Between his stints at LSU and Syracuse, Mr. Udick worked at Loyola University, where he edited the Blueprint for Social Justice, a publication of the Twomey Center for Peace Through Justice, and coordinated the university's labor studies program. He also directed a statewide American Civil Liberties Union program, "The Blessings of Liberty: 200 Years of Constitutional Freedom."

"He was the epitome of the informed and conscientious citizen, said Michael Hovey, a friend from Mr. Udick's Syracuse days. "He brought a broad intellectual understanding of democratic principles and social justice to bear on his tireless involvement in social and political activism."

Mr. Udick endowed a teaching award at LSU's College of Arts and Sciences and a graduate fellowship at Syracuse, and he established a scholarship at Centenary College in Shreveport in memory of his mother. He recently created two scholarship funds at the Greater New Orleans Foundation.

He was a former member of Syracuse University's board of trustees and the state boards of the Louisiana Lesbian and Gay Political Action Caucus and the American Civil Liberties Union.

He was chairman of the Mayor's Advisory Committee on Lesbian, Gay and Transgender Issues and a member of the New Orleans Regional AIDS Planning Council, which determines how to allocate federal AIDS money from the fund named for Ryan White.

Mr. Udick also was operations manager of the Lesbian and Gay Community Center of New Orleans and a member of the New Orleans AIDS Clinical Trials Unit's community advisory board.

Last year, he received a Community First Award from the Louisiana Lesbian and Gay Political Action Caucus. A memorial service was held Apr. 19.

Robert C. Burrow

Robert C. Burrow, a former store manager for Universal Furniture, died Apr. 15 of undetermined causes at Charity Hospital. He was 43. Mr. Burrow was born in Birmingham, AL, grew up in Massachusetts and lived in New Orleans for the past 17 years. He attended Bridgewater State College in Bridgewater, MA. He also was the former manager of a Color Tile Store in Oxnard, CA. Survivors include his companion, John Blake. A funeral was held Mon., Apr. 19.

Paul E. Verdine

Paul E. Verdine, 43, a resident of Austin and Houston, stepped forward into the next part of his journey on Wed, April 14th and rested with the quiet pines of southern Louisiana on Sat., April 17, in his home town of Starks. Paul was the long-time happy hour bartender for an Austin bar known as Chain Drive. Paul was honored by his friends in Austin with remembrance, cookout and balloon release hosted by Dick's Deja Disco on Sun., April 18. Thanks to Dick's, The Edge and Splash for the beautiful flower arrangements and to all of Paul's friends and family for their generous out pouring of love and caring.