Louis Halk

Louis W. Halk of Paramus, NJ, formerly of Oradell, born on January 30, 1922, passed away on February 28th. He was a World War II veteran, serving as a French and German interpreter in infantry and armored units from Normandy to Austria. He earned a B.A. in 1949 and an M.A. in Education in 1950, both from New York University. Louis then began teaching German, French, and social studies at Dumont High School. In 1962, he became the head of the foreign language department and instituted the study of Russian, which he taught, and Italian. He attended the Dartmouth Russian Institute and visited the Soviet Union in the 1950s. Louis was also granted a Fulbright Exchange to study in Germany. He retired in 1985, which gave him more time to pursue his long-time hobbies of swimming, skiing, photography, and flying small planes. He enjoyed classical music and concerts, and he played clarinet in various bands. He traveled extensively including most of Europe, the Caribbean, and Central America. He continued to teach French, German, and Russian privately until his death, and he will be terribly missed by countless students, many of whom came to call him friend. At Louis’s request, there will be no memorial services. Donations in his memory can be sent to the ACLU.