JW-Vol49-No1-page7

In Memoriam

George Barvinchak

George Barvinchak will not make the trip to Pittsburgh this summer for the 50th anniversary festival of the organization he helped create.

Barvinchak died January 7 after a short illness in Johnson City N.Y., the town where he was recognized as a preeminent juggler and magician for almost 60 years of his life.

Barvinchak's widow, Elizabeth, said he performed frequently up until the end of his life at age 79, and that calls for his services were coming in even several weeks after his burial.

He grew up in Binghamton, a N.Y., and learned juggling and magic at age 16 from his older brother, Bill, who lives now in 1 Hollywood. He became active in the International Brotherhood of Magicians and also took an interest in efforts to establish an organization for jugglers.

IJA founder Art Jennings said Barvinchak came to Pittsburgh in 1947 for the IBM convention and eagerly became a founder of the IJA on that occasion. Jennings said Barvinchak was a pillar in the early IJA, doing whatever was asked to help nurture its growth. He organized the public show at its first convention in Jamestown, N.Y., and attended IJA conventions and festivals throughout his life.

He worked for a short time with a carnival, but didn't care for traveling and settled on entertaining as a part-time avocation during a 45-year career as a time study engineer for Endicott Johnson Corp. He was an Army veteran of World War II and a member and past president of the International Brotherhood of Magicians.

He performed at schools, Christmas parties, community picnics, Scout dinners and birthday parties. In the early 950s he made two appearances on the popular television program, "Ted Mack's Original Amateur Hour." Dressed in tuxedo and bow tie, he presented an upbeat, family-oriented show. He often told the crowd, "Hey! I'm having fun, you have some, too!"

He juggled rings, five balls and clubs. He juggled three silver-colored "cannon" balls, and startled audiences by feigning injury when a rubber one hit him on the head while he clunked the other two wooden ones together. He also rested a glass of water inside a triangle and spun it on a cue stick without spilling the contents.

He and his wife were married 56 years and had three children.