PHILADELPHIA – Penn Athletics was saddened to learn about the passing of Bernard E. "Barney" Berlinger, Jr. ME'60 on June 25.
 
Berlinger was inducted into the Penn Athletics Hall of Fame in 1996 as a member of its Inaugural Class, joining his father in that original class.
 
Barney Berlinger, Jr. followed in his father's athletic footsteps at Penn. A member of both the football and track teams, Berlinger set a then-school record of 14 feet 4.5 inches in the pole vault, an event where his father had set the school record 30 years earlier.
 
However, it was on the football field where Berlinger left his most indelible mark wearing the Red and Blue. In 1958 he was the first Penn player to be selected as a first-team All-Ivy performer, at end, and he repeated that first-team selection in 1959 when he captained the Quakers to their first Ivy League championship. He was the team's leading receiver as both a junior and senior.
 
Like his father, Berlinger was awarded the University's prestigious Class of 1915 Award as that member of the senior class who, "most closely approaches the ideal University of Pennsylvania student-athlete." He also received the Edgar Church Award from his football teammates as the senior player who had given the most to the team.
 
Following graduation, Berlinger served in the U.S. Marine Corps both active and reserves from 1961 to 1965, and later devoted his career to the family business, Quaker City Gear Works. He went on to found ASI Technologies Inc., a manufacturer of electric propulsion systems, and later Gear Innovations, an advanced technology firm pioneering the Convoloid gear tooth form.
 
A longtime member of the American Gear Manufacturers Association (AGMA), Barney served on numerous technical committees and was elected president in 1986. He was widely respected for his innovation and leadership in the gearing industry.
 
Barney was also a licensed instrument-rated pilot and an avid outdoorsman. He was a proud member of Porters Lake Hunting and Fishing Club, where his family has had deep roots since its founding in 1900. He enjoyed hunting, fishing, trap shooting, and reading history—particularly about the events leading up to World War II.
 
Berlinger is survived by his wife, Valerie Vollmer Berlinger; his sons Bernard (Barney) III, Mark, and Darryl; and four beloved grandchildren.
 
Barney will be remembered for his intellect, humility, and quiet strength, and for the lasting legacy he leaves in his family and profession.
 
Family and friends are invited to gather Saturday, September 27 from 11 a.m.-noon, with Barney's Life Celebration starting promptly at noon. The location is Stoneleigh Gables Farm in Carversville, Pa. If planning to attend, please RSVP to Darryl Berlinger by Sunday, Sept. 7 at dberlinger@novativedesigns.com.
 
In lieu of flowers, contributions in Barney's name to the Marine Corps Scholarship Foundation would be appreciated.