Retired Funeral Services Professor Recognized at SUNY Canton Honors Convocation

An educator who helped advance the Mortuary Science associate degree and helped develop the Funeral Services Administration bachelor’s degree program is being recognized at SUNY Canton’s Honors Convocation.

“Professor Emeritus Barry W. Walch has been selected as this year’s Honors Convocation namesake,” said SUNY Canton Provost Peggy A. De Cooke. “Professor Walch is an immensely skilled educator who was passionate about his teaching and has a unique ability to engage and involve students.”

Honors Convocation is an annual student awards ceremony designed to recognize the top students in each academic discipline and students who have made significant civic achievements during their studies. It will be held at 4:15 p.m. on Thursday, April 23, in the Roos House Convocation, Athletic and Recreation Center.

Walch retired in 2021 following a 32-year career at the college. Generations of students launched their careers under Walch’s tutelage, according to Funeral Services Administration Director David R. Penepent.

“Barry possesses a vast reservoir of professional expertise, meticulously cultivated through years of dedication to the funeral service industry,” Penepent said. “His commitment to education and professional excellence ensures that future generations of funeral service practitioners are well-prepared to uphold the highest standards of care and expertise.”

Following his contributions to the Funeral Service Administration program and the field, Barry was selected to receive the SUNY Canton College Council’s Distinguished Faculty Award in 2019. He is a former board member of the New York State Funeral Directors Association and a founding director of the Tribute Foundation, the association’s philanthropic arm.

He was also a contributor to the text “A Complete Guide to the Science Section of the National Board Exam for Funeral Services,” a resource designed to equip aspiring funeral service professionals with the essential scientific principles required for certification.

Walch lives in Canton with his wife, Rhonda. He is Chair of the Canton Village Planning Board, works on restoring older houses, and fills in as a funeral director for area businesses. He continues to offer online instruction for students preparing for their national board examinations.

The retired professor expressed his excitement about sharing the Honors Convocation with the college’s exceptional, gifted, successful students and their proud families.

“I am thrilled to be selected to share some of my thoughts and experiences about the benefits of higher education,” Walch said. “In the three years since I left classroom instruction, I have come to see the bigger picture of the places our graduates are able to go. It is gratifying to see how they have used their educational boost to advance in substantial, widely varied, and valuable ways.”