Kurt Hojen Parkum

Kurt Højen Parkum, Ph.D.

Kurt H. Parkum, Ph.D. passed away on February 24, 2023 at the age of 85.  He is survived by his wife Cindy M. Parkum, his daughter Lynee E. Parkum, and his three stepsons Eric Cleckner, Matthew Cleckner, and Kurtis Cleckner.  He was born in Vordingborg, Denmark in 1937 and arrived in the U.S. in 1964.  He became a citizen in 1980, when his daughter was born.

Kurt began his academic career at the Copenhagen School of Economics in Denmark, where he received his bachelor’s and Master of Business Administration degrees.  He studied at Columbia University, where he completed a master’s degree in health-care administration.  Later, he received his doctorate in organizational sociology at the University of Wisconsin at Madison.

Dr. Parkum was on the faculty of Penn State Harrisburg for nearly 25 years until he retired with emeritus status in 2004.  During his tenure at Penn State Harrisburg, he served as director of the college’s Master of Business Administration program and previously as faculty advisor to an undergraduate health care administration program.  Prior to joining Penn State in 1981 he held a joint position as lecturer at Yale University’s School of Public Health and project evaluator at Yale’s School of Medicine.

More recently, his main interest became Jungian psychology with a focus upon the individual and religion.  Dr. Parkum attended Quaker meetings in Harrisburg and became a member of the Carlisle Quaker Meeting, where he and his wife remain active participants.

The family will be celebrating his life privately.  Any contributions in honor of his life can be made to Carlisle Quaker Meeting, 252 A Street, Carlisle, PA 17013.

Kurt’s family has entrusted his care to Buhrig Funeral Home & Crematory in Mechanicsburg, (717) 766-3421.  Read Kurt’s full obituary, view his photograph, offer condolences and sympathy, share stories and memories, upload photographs and videos, light a candle and sign his official guest book by visiting Buhrig.com.