Charles Fuqua ’57

Classical language and literature were Charlie’s profession and avocation. At Princeton, President Goheen was Charlie’s instructor and mentor. Charlie in turn was President Goheen’s occasional baby-sitter and house sitter at Prospect.

At Princeton, he was a member of Theatre Intime, the Aquinas Society, and Prospect Club. His senior-year roommate was Ed Smolensky. Following Princeton and three years in the Navy, Charlie earned a Ph.D. at Cornell, where he met and later married Mary, who was obtaining her own doctorate.

After teaching two years at Dartmouth, he moved to Williams, where he taught Greek and Latin until his retirement in 2003. Of his students, Charlie remarked, “I liked them immensely.” Charlie went on studying, including Renaissance Latin and ancient Sumerian mathematics. He taught, too, at a home for children affected by tragedy and was a hospice volunteer. For his last 11 years Charlie was on dialysis thrice weekly. Ten years is considered maximum. He loved his caretakers. Charlie remarked that a difference between him and us was that he knew how he would die.

Charlie died Jan. 19, 2019. Despite occasional grumpiness, some affected, some real, Charlie had a wry, intellectual sense of humor behind which resided joy. Charlie is survived by Mary and their three children.