Terrence W. Haverluk

1958 - 2018

Terrence W. Haverluk died September 18, 2018, in Colorado Springs, CO. He was a Professor in the Geospatial Science Program at the United States Air Force Academy. Terry was born September 12, 1958, in Gillette, Wyoming. He was an athlete throughout high school, excelling in both wrestling and baseball. He attended the University of Northern Colorado for his undergraduate degree in geography. He worked as a roughneck on the oil rigs in Weld County, CO, to pay for school. After travelling throughout Europe and Mexico, he enrolled in the Geography Department at the University of Minnesota, where he earned his MA in 1987 and PhD in 1993. Terry was a cultural geographer who published numerous influential research articles and books. He first became recognized for his work on Hispanic migration patterns in the United States and the cultural changes that resulted in receiving communities. He also published on Mexican food diffusion, regional food types, and cultural adaptations of cuisine and cooking. During the most recent years he turned to geopolitics, publishing the textbook Geopolitics From the Ground Up, journal articles, and teaching the topic in the Scholars Program at the Air Force Academy and occasionally at the University of Colorado, Colorado Springs and Pikes Peak Community College. A consummate geographer, he easily transcended subdisciplines, making connections between the physical and human world and teaching classes in both. Anybody who knew Terry can attest that he was a jovial, fun-loving, and enthusiastic person. He loved to cook and travel, and was proficient in both Spanish and French. He was also a brilliant scholar. His research contributions helped many others, and he was the best lecturer anybody could ever have the pleasure to listen to. At the Air Force Academy, he was well-known among faculty and cadets for his “Chile Pepper” lecture, and recently was known to receive standing ovations from cadets as he walked into the classroom. However, he had been in poor health for nearly a decade, suffering from various ailments, but all related to his underlying struggle with alcohol. Terry had just turned 60 the weekend before his death, and hosted a pig roast at his property. Many of his friends and family came from around the country, which gave him great joy. The geography community has lost a great mind and great spirit. He is survived by his wife Julie and daughters Elena and Claire.

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