George Carmichael, teacher, naturalist
George R. Carmichael Jr., 86, of Levittown, a high school teacher and longtime naturalist, died Wednesday, April 27, of heart failure at his daughter's home in Ewing, N.J.
George R. Carmichael Jr., 86, of Levittown, a high school teacher and longtime naturalist, died Wednesday, April 27, of heart failure at his daughter's home in Ewing, N.J.
Born in Portland, Maine, to George Ross and Jean McAlpine Carmichael, he graduated in 1947 from Morse High School in Bath, Maine. He received a bachelor of science degree from Tufts University in 1951 and a master's degree in secondary education from Temple University in 1957.
Mr. Carmichael married Jean Elizabeth Kelly in 1953. The two settled in Levittown, where they reared four children.
Starting in 1954, Mr. Carmichael taught seventh grade math in the Bristol Township School District and later taught biology in the Pennsbury district. He retired in 1988.
Throughout his life, he harnessed his teaching skills on behalf of the United Christian Church in Levittown, for which he created and supported various projects.
A lifelong environmental advocate, Mr. Carmichael was the first paid summer naturalist for the Silver Lake Nature Center in Bristol, a former president of the Bucks County Audubon Society, and a member of many environmental organizations.
One of his passions was bird-watching. "In his later years, he could be found conducting bird walks and sharing his knowledge with others," his family said in a remembrance.
Once, while visiting daughter Ann Prior in Wilmington, N.C., Mr. Carmichael spotted a rare bird in her backyard. He phoned in the sighting to a national birding hotline and then returned home. Within a half-hour, bird watchers appeared in the driveway, eager to see the feathered creature and add it to their life list.
"Dad, did you forget to tell me something?" Prior asked him by phone, according to family lore.
He enjoyed teaching anyone who would listen about humanity's responsibility to preserve the natural world. He campaigned against nuclear power.
Above all else, Mr. Carmichael was proud of his Scottish heritage. He enjoyed the poetry of Robert Burns, and wore a kilt of his clan's blue, green and black tartan at every opportunity. "And, of course, he would never turn down a glass of the Famous Grouse Scottish whisky," his family said.
Besides his daughter, he is survived by another daughter, Susan Rzeminski; sons Douglas and William; eight grandchildren; a great-grandchild; nieces and nephews; and a brother. His wife died in 2013.
A service of remembrance will be held at noon Saturday, May 14, at the United Christian Church, 8525 New Falls Rd., Levittown, Pa. 19007. After the service, a piper will lead mourners to the churchyard, where Mr. Carmichael's ashes will be scattered.
Donations may be made to the church's youth camp at the address above; the Silver Lake Nature Center, 1306 Bath Rd., Bristol, Pa. 19007; or the Bucks County Scottish American Society, Box 151, Wycombe, Pa. 18980.
610-313-8102