TERESA MCALHANY

Teresa McAlhany is one of Carl Barks' granddaughters. She has worked for many years as an executive secretary but now spend her time on textile arts some of which are the woven and embroidered textiles from Scandinavia.

I’d like to thank Peter for giving me the opportunity to share some memories of my grandfather with you, as well as for managing this truly comprehensive website about his life and work!

Unfortunately, I never knew Carl very well. My father was in the Navy, and we spent most of my childhood being transferred from one duty station to another. But in between our many moves, we managed to see Carl and Garé a few times.

My mother (Dorothy) and Garé were often in touch, either by letter or by phone. (As Carl’s hearing loss worsened, Garé took over all phone calls.) She had a deep, booming voice that I can still “hear” in my memory. Garé was only 7 years older than my mother, and the two felt more like sisters than stepmother and stepdaughter. And having only half of her left arm (just below the elbow) didn’t stop her...you should have seen how fast she could sew on a button or fasten a necklace!

The last time I saw Carl and Garé was in September 1990. My husband (Jerry) and I were living in Washington State, and they were living in Grants Pass, Oregon. We decided to spend a couple of weeks touring Oregon, and I wrote Garé and asked if we could stop by while we were in their area. She replied that they would love to see us.

When we got to southern Oregon, I called Garé and made arrangements for the date and time (and also to get directions). It was Carl who answered the door; he extended his hand, but I gave him a big hug instead. We had never seen each other without my mother present; and we both felt a little awkward, I think. Anyway, he seemed pleased; and the ice was broken.

Although we hadn’t seen each other in several years, I was impressed by how well he looked: as always, very straight and tall and quite handsome...all traits he had inherited from his father. It was hard to believe he was 89 years old! He was casually dressed...a contrast to the sportcoats and bolo ties that I remembered from earlier visits. And I noticed that he was no longer wearing the hearing aids wired to a transmitter (about the size of a deck of cards) carried in his shirt pocket, which annoyingly set off the metal detector at every airport he passed through. The new hearing aids seemed to work better too; we were able to converse much more easily.

The front door opened into the living room, which was filled with Disney memorabilia: figurines, pictures, even pillows. Carl showed us through the room, pointing out particular pieces, as we waited for Garé (who I think was in the shower at the time). The room was filled with sunshine from the high windows and the colorful artwork...a lovely scene.

Garé rushed out to greet us warmly, and together she and Carl gave us a tour of the rest of their home. I remember that it seemed awfully large for just two people and was glad that they had a housekeeper to take care of it. Garé had developed some health problems, and my mother was very concerned about her. But she looked relaxed and well. And she was wearing the most incredible necklace made of colored SEEDS! (It’s funny what sticks out in your mind years later.)

Their favorite room was obviously the studio, which was on a lower level but still had plenty of light. Some of their paintings hung on the walls, and I was most drawn to a small one showing a ranch scene. Carl told me that it was one of his earliest paintings and showed his childhood home.

My husband was most impressed by the large double-door safe that protected the paintings, lithographs, and other artwork in case of fire. Carl told him that the safe was so heavy, the delivery dolly kept bogging down in the yard; and workers had to build a plywood ramp to get it through the yard and into the studio. One of Carl’s partially finished paintings was on the easel, and my husband asked what happened if he changed his mind about an already-painted area. Carl said this happened often, and he simply painted over the area.

They pointed out the vacant lot next door, which they also owned. I had the impression that they bought it simply to protect their view and privacy, but perhaps they were already thinking about their next house.

We asked them to join us for dinner at the historic Wolf Creek Tavern, about 20 miles away; but neither wanted to go out. So we said goodbye, and Carl was quite happy to give me a big hug this time. We left feeling certain that my grandfather would live forever and that Garé’s illness was much exaggerated. Sadly, we were wrong on both counts; and we never saw either of them again.

Although I know little about Carl’s artwork, I’m grateful for the continued interest of his many fans all over the world. Thank you for helping to keep his memory and his work alive. And please remember the huge role that Garé played in his success. She was one of the most wonderful people I ever met, and my entire family is so grateful that she came into Carl’s life...and ours.

Teresa, Garé, and Carl

Garé, Carl, and Jerry

This contribution was written specially for this website. © Teresa McAlhany