1937
Blocker
2013
Blocker Blocker
November 29, 1937 — April 12, 2013
After an eighteen-month battle with renal cancer, Gene Blocker died on April 12, 2013. Born Harry Eugene Blocker III in Dallas, TX on November 29, 1937 to Margaret Sue (Hines) and Harry Eugene Blocker II, Gene was beloved husband of Jennifer M. Jeffers, and father to Samuel Reid Jeffers Blocker and Beckett Rhiannon Jeffers Blocker of Cleveland Heights, Ohio.
After graduating from Hillcrest High School in Dallas in 1955, Gene earned his BA in Philosophy from the University of Chicago in 1960, and his PhD in Philosophy from the University of California, Berkeley in 1966.
Gene was a Lecturer in Philosophy at the University of Aberdeen, Scotland from 1965-1968. From there he was a Lecturer in Philosophy at the University of Sierra Leone from 1968-1970. From 1970-1972 Gene was in the Philosophy Department at Illinois State University. In 1972 he joined the Philosophy Department at Ohio University in Athens where he spent the remainder of his career. Gene served as Department Chair in the 1980s, and after his retirement in 1998, he continued to teach courses online as Professor Emeritus. Gene was the founder of the Athens Dixieland Jazz Band in the early 1970s and continued to play cornet with the band until his retirement from Ohio University.
Gene's love of travel and international culture led him to be awarded a Fulbright as a full Professor and Chair at Bendel State University in Nigeria, and visiting positions at Fudan University, Shanghai; Fourah Bay College, Sierra Leone; University of Ibadan, Nigeria; Hong Kong Baptist University, Hong Kong; and Shoin Women's University, Kobe, Japan. Over the years, Gene actively mentored many international students and helped them continue their studies in the US.
Author, co-author, editor, and co-editor of numerous articles and books across a broad spectrum of intellectual areas, Gene's publications in Aesthetics, Introduction to Philosophy, and Applied Philosophy are among his most well-known and finest: The Metaphysics of Absurdity (1979); Contemporary Philosophy of Art (1993); Contextualizing Aesthetics: From Plato to Lyotard (1998); Introduction to Philosophy (1974), Fundamentals of Philosophy (eighth edition, 2013), and Applied Social/Political Philosophy (1994).
Emerson said "Character is higher than intellect. A great soul will be strong to live as well as think." Gene was "great soul" through his engagement with everyone around him. As a friend said to me recently, Gene "always made those around him feel welcomed and valued." In recent years, Gene was a proud "Mr. Mom" to twins, an active member and Sunday school teacher at the Church of the Saviour, and served as co-PTA president at Roxboro Elementary.
Gene also survived by daughter, Forrest Blocker, and grandchild Maxwell Blocker of New Mexico; sister, Nonnie Sue Dierck of Wimberley, Texas, and brother, John Blocker (Gail) of Dallas Texas; mother-in-law Mary A. Jeffers, and brother-in-law, Gregory Jeffers of The Plains, Ohio. He was predeceased by his parents, the late Harry and Margaret Blocker.
The family prefers that those who wish may make contributions in his name to The Gathering Place, 23300 Commerce Park Drive, Beachwood, OH 44122 or Church of the Saviour, 2537 Lee Road, Cleveland Heights, OH 44118, where Memorial Services will be held, Saturday, April 27th at 11 AM. FRIENDS MAY CALL AT BROWN-FORWARD, 17022 CHAGRIN BOULEVARD, SHAKER HEIGHTS, OH 44120 ONFRIDAY, APRIL 26TH FROM 6-8 PM.
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After graduating from Hillcrest High School in Dallas in 1955, Gene earned his BA in Philosophy from the University of Chicago in 1960, and his PhD in Philosophy from the University of California, Berkeley in 1966.
Gene was a Lecturer in Philosophy at the University of Aberdeen, Scotland from 1965-1968. From there he was a Lecturer in Philosophy at the University of Sierra Leone from 1968-1970. From 1970-1972 Gene was in the Philosophy Department at Illinois State University. In 1972 he joined the Philosophy Department at Ohio University in Athens where he spent the remainder of his career. Gene served as Department Chair in the 1980s, and after his retirement in 1998, he continued to teach courses online as Professor Emeritus. Gene was the founder of the Athens Dixieland Jazz Band in the early 1970s and continued to play cornet with the band until his retirement from Ohio University.
Gene's love of travel and international culture led him to be awarded a Fulbright as a full Professor and Chair at Bendel State University in Nigeria, and visiting positions at Fudan University, Shanghai; Fourah Bay College, Sierra Leone; University of Ibadan, Nigeria; Hong Kong Baptist University, Hong Kong; and Shoin Women's University, Kobe, Japan. Over the years, Gene actively mentored many international students and helped them continue their studies in the US.
Author, co-author, editor, and co-editor of numerous articles and books across a broad spectrum of intellectual areas, Gene's publications in Aesthetics, Introduction to Philosophy, and Applied Philosophy are among his most well-known and finest: The Metaphysics of Absurdity (1979); Contemporary Philosophy of Art (1993); Contextualizing Aesthetics: From Plato to Lyotard (1998); Introduction to Philosophy (1974), Fundamentals of Philosophy (eighth edition, 2013), and Applied Social/Political Philosophy (1994).
Emerson said "Character is higher than intellect. A great soul will be strong to live as well as think." Gene was "great soul" through his engagement with everyone around him. As a friend said to me recently, Gene "always made those around him feel welcomed and valued." In recent years, Gene was a proud "Mr. Mom" to twins, an active member and Sunday school teacher at the Church of the Saviour, and served as co-PTA president at Roxboro Elementary.
Gene also survived by daughter, Forrest Blocker, and grandchild Maxwell Blocker of New Mexico; sister, Nonnie Sue Dierck of Wimberley, Texas, and brother, John Blocker (Gail) of Dallas Texas; mother-in-law Mary A. Jeffers, and brother-in-law, Gregory Jeffers of The Plains, Ohio. He was predeceased by his parents, the late Harry and Margaret Blocker.
The family prefers that those who wish may make contributions in his name to The Gathering Place, 23300 Commerce Park Drive, Beachwood, OH 44122 or Church of the Saviour, 2537 Lee Road, Cleveland Heights, OH 44118, where Memorial Services will be held, Saturday, April 27th at 11 AM. FRIENDS MAY CALL AT BROWN-FORWARD, 17022 CHAGRIN BOULEVARD, SHAKER HEIGHTS, OH 44120 ONFRIDAY, APRIL 26TH FROM 6-8 PM.
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