Obituary

I had the pleasure to meet George Pepe when I was a lecturer of Italian at Washington University. His intelligence, humanity and sense of humour will be for me unforgettable: one of the nicest persons I have ever known.

I was deeply saddened to hear about the passing of Professor Pepe. I remember him fondly as my favorite professor at WashU, and while I took only one of his classes in 2001, we had many conversations outside the classroom. I had a rather shaky foundation in Latin prior to taking his class, and I struggled to keep up at first. But Professor Pepe told me he knew I could do better. He said it in a way that convinced me I needed to spend an entire weekend studying Latin grammar. After that, I did much better in his class, and he acknowledged the improvement. I thanked him for encouraging me to do better, for believing in me. We would sometimes chat on the Greenway path to and from campus, and whenever he saw me, he was quick with a smile and a welcoming remark. But that is how he was with his students - he always made time to speak with us and let us know we mattered. He was the least stuffy, most approachable professor I met at WashU. And I could tell he loved teaching - he was enthusiastic about the material and sharing it with us. I am grateful to have known him and to have had him as a professor.

So sorry to hear this. Grew up with George in the Bronx playing baseball and basketball (metal netting) on macadam surfaces in a playground on Crotona Avenue. George had a wicked corner jumper but only from the right side. He had the only portable FM radio on the block. Condolences to his family and all who knew him. Anthony Villani Lyons, NY