Bert E. Tucker, Jr.

Bert E. Tucker, Jr. age 85 of Wayne, died on Wednesday, May 8, 2019.

Bert grew up in Ponchatoula, Louisiana and enjoyed what was a typical Southern childhood.  It was a very simple life.  After high school he attended Southeastern LA College for his freshman year and then was selected for enrollment at the United States Military Academy at West Point.  He went on to graduate in the top 25 percent from West Point in 1956 and served for three years in Frankfurt, Germany.  He remained loyal to the U.S. Military Academy and was very proud of his time in the Service. Bert obtained his Masters from Louisiana State University.

While at West Point, Bert met Doris Hoffmann at a dance.  Bert was celebrating his upcoming graduation from the West Point Military Academy and Doris was his blind date that evening.  They enjoyed a little revelry around New York City’s Times Square on that first date and their love for one another grew quickly.  They married later that same year, on December 22, 1956 and honeymooned for a few days in Florida.  Bert was assigned to serve with the U.S. Army in Frankfurt, Germany for the next three years, and they moved there together as newlyweds.  While living in Germany, they were blessed with the birth of her daughter, Diane.  Upon returning to civilian life, they settled to Wayne in 1964.  Together, they enjoyed traveling and had visited many European countries, Russia, Australia, New Zealand, and the Norwegian nations.  They also visited each of the fifty United States and toured more than sixty of our Nationals Parks.

While in the US Army Corps of Engineers branch, he was a pilot and instructor for helicopters, airplanes and parachuting. Bert ultimately earned his Master’s Degree in Physics and Mathematics from Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge where began a cryogenics project for NASA. He was approved for doctoral PhD program which he completed in cryogenics for his PhD.

Bert and Doris moved to Wayne in 1965. Bert worked for Uniroyal Tires, where he derived differential equations for new belted passenger tires. Bert advanced to the New York City financial sector where he excelled as a software designer. He worked for many of the large financial companies as a consultant including Monchick Weber, McGraw Hill and Goldman Sacks. He retired at sixty-six years of age, but found himself even busier in the years to follow.  He became involved in local politics, becoming a 3rd Ward Councilman in Wayne, he ran for Mayor at one point, joined the Wayne Historical Society, Rotary International, to name a few.  He started an ethics program for high school students which was hosted at West Point, and he published three books; Blind Quest Avoiding Pitfalls, Blind Quest Deceived by Experience, And Life Force Mars!  He kept himself busy and intellectually stimulated, without any doubt.

Bert is survived by his daughter; Diane Joseph and her husband Robert of Wayne, three grandsons; Robert Joseph and his wife Emma of Mahwah, Timothy Joseph of Mahwah, and William Joseph of Wayne, one great-granddaughter; Fiona of Mahwah, a sister; Nancy Davis and her husband James of Louisiana, and four nieces and nephews.  He was predeceased by his wife Doris in 2015, and by one brother; Richard Tucker of Louisiana.