Bernard "Bernie" George Starks, 78, died Wednesday, April 29, 2009 in De Pere of Leukemia. He was born in Eau Claire, WI, on August 15, 1930 to Gould and Florence Starks. He attended public schools in that city graduating in 1948. Bernie attended UW Eau Claire graduating with a major in history in January 1953. He then served in the U.S. Army Counter Intelligence Corps in Japan. He attended graduate school at UW Madison in 1955 56 graduating with a M.S. in physical education. Bernie taught and coached in the public schools in Loyal and Glenwood City, WI until moving to Madison for doctoral studies and teaching in the Department of Physical Education Men at UW Madison. He was one of the first staff members hired to begin the new 4 year UW Green Bay where he taught and coached from 1966 until retiring in 1989. He taught in the departments of Education and the Physical Education Programs which he chaired fro 17 years. Professionally, he was associated with the Am. Assoc. of Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance, the Wis. AHPERD, Phi Delta, Kappa, and Phi Epsilon Kappa. Bernie was very involved in community service including civil defense, Red Cross, Heart Association, Epilepsy Foundation, N.E.W. Health Planning, Association for High Level Wellness, etc. He held leadership roles in these programs and received many awards and commendations for his work, serving as Chairman, Emergency Care Task Force, convened by the Am. Acad. of Orthopaedic Surgeons to develop a national standardization-training curriculum for EMT's. He collaborated on four textbooks in this regard. He was involved in training most of the original EMTs in N.E.W. and Upper Michigan. He also frequently presented programs on local TV and on WI Public Radio After retirement Bernie was the Manager of the UWGB Shorewood Golf Course from 1989 1991. Bernie was an athletic official working out of Eau Claire, Madison, and Green Bay from 1945 1997. During that period he officiated baseball, basketball (52 years), cross country run, football, softball, track, volleyball, and wrestling at the interscholastic and intercollegiate levels. He was a member of the Nat. Assoc. of Sport Officials, the WIAA, the Indianhead Officials Assoc., the Southern WI Officials Assoc, N.E.W. Officials Assoc for which he was an officer for several years and the Green Bay Officials Assoc. He organized and participated in many clinics and programs for officials, coaches, players, and spectators. As a Free and Accepted Mason, he was a member of Glenwood City Lodge 254 and the Valley of Eau Claire Scottish Rite 32nd Degree. He is survived by his two children: son Lee (Laura) and their children Danielle, Maxwell, and Henry, daughter Lori (Peter) Linna and their children Breanna and Luke; one brother Bill of Eau Claire, two sisters Barbara of S. Milwaukee, and Beverly of Eau Claire; his sweetheart Helen Donovan and her children Karen Donovan and her kids Kelli Jo and Ryan, Brian Donovan, Susan Falish and her daughters Mary Beth and Sara, and Cindy Nelson; and Cindy's children Olivia and David. He was preceded in death by his parents and one brother Mike of Eau Claire. At his request there will be no formal funeral ceremonies. RYAN FUNERAL HOME, De Pere, is assisting the family. Please visit www.ryanfh.com to send online condolences to the Starks family. Any gifts shall be given to the UWGB Athletic Department Scholarship Fund.