News & Events In Memoriam

We invite members of the Amherst College community to leave notes and remembrances by logging in and clicking “Add comment” below.

We invite members of the Amherst College community to leave notes and remembrances by logging in and clicking “Add comment” below.

We invite members of the Amherst College community to leave notes and remembrances by logging in and clicking “Add comment” below.

We invite members of the Amherst College community to leave notes and remembrances by logging in and clicking “Add comment” below.

We invite members of the Amherst College community to leave notes and remembrances by logging in and clicking “Add comment” below.

We invite members of the Amherst College community to leave notes and remembrances by logging in and clicking “Add comment” below.

Amherst College mourns the passing of David Reck, professor emeritus of music and Asian languages and civilizations, on Sept. 30, 2021. Reck was a member of the Amherst faculty between 1975 and 2006.

Provost and Dean of the Faculty Catherine Epstein wrote the following in an Oct. 7 email to faculty and staff:

David’s departmental colleagues describe him as a generous, passionate teacher who embodied the spirit of music in the liberal arts, a colleague and mentor of exceptional warmth, and a musician and scholar whose gifts, curiosity, and accomplishments transcended boundaries.

The professor’s family is planning a memorial service for early 2022; more information will be provided, as will a link to an obituary, when it becomes available.

We invite members of the Amherst College community to leave notes and remembrances by logging in and clicking “Add comment” below.

Amherst College mourns the passing of Joel E. Gordon, the Stone Professor of Natural Science (Physics), Emeritus, on Aug. 10, 2021. Joel taught at Amherst between 1957 and 2000.

Provost and Dean of the Faculty Catherine Epstein wrote the following in an Aug. 13 email to faculty and staff:

Joel’s departmental colleagues describe him as “a kind and dedicated teacher who also maintained an active research program at Amherst and lively collaborations around the world for five decades in condensed matter physics. In addition, he was a generous guide and mentor to generations of faculty, staff, and students.”

No information is available at present about services for Joel, but if we learn more, we will post this information on the college’s In Memoriam page.

Please consult this obituary for further details.

We invite members of the Amherst College community to leave notes and remembrances by logging in and clicking “Add comment” below.

Amherst College mourns the passing of Stanley Mieczkowski on June 12, 2021. Mieczkowski came to the College in 1985 as a carpenter and cabinet maker and worked in that profession through his retirement in 2006.

Please see this brief obituary for more information.

We invite members of the Amherst College community to leave notes and remembrances by logging in and clicking “Add comment” below.

Amherst College mourns the passing of Marjorie Farrell on April 23, 2021. Farrell came to the College in 1971 as a clerk/typist in the Dean of the Faculty's Office. In 1980, she became the secretary in Financial Aid. She became the fellowship assistant in 1989 and worked in that position until her retirement in 1991. 

Please see this brief obituary for more information.

We invite members of the Amherst College community to leave notes and remembrances by logging in and clicking “Add comment” below.

Amherst College mourns the passing of Donald O. Martin on Jan. 8, 2021. Martin came to the College in 1966 as a research machinist in the physics department. In 1983, he became head of the Machine Shop, a position he held until his retirement in 1996.

Please see this obituary for more information.

We invite members of the Amherst College community to leave notes and remembrances by logging in and clicking “Add comment” below.

Amherst College mourns the passing of Jon A. Sanborn on March 19, 2021. Sanborn came to the College in 1994 as a lab coordinator, senior research fellow and chemical hygiene officer. In the ensuing years, he also served on several occasions as a visiting lecturer. He retired from the College in 2007.

Please see this obituary for more information.

We invite members of the Amherst College community to leave notes and remembrances by logging in and clicking “Add comment” below.

Amherst College mourns the passing of Lois Hill on March 15, 2021. Hill came to the College in 1971 as a secretary in the Registrar's office. In 1974, she was promoted to executive secretary, and in 1978 she became the administrative assistant for Institutional Research. She remained in that position until her retirement in 1992.

Please see this obituary for more information.

We invite members of the Amherst College community to leave notes and remembrances by logging in and clicking “Add comment” below.

Amherst College mourns the passing of David Armacost, professor emeritus of mathematics, on March 10, 2021. He taught at Amherst between 1969 and 2012.

Upon his retirement, Armacost's department commented that he was “a gifted teacher who has inspired students in the classroom and greatly enjoyed extended conversations in his office. These conversations would touch on math but more often on larger issues of life and learning. He has always cared deeply for his students, and for many of them, that caring is one of their strongest memories of Amherst. He will be missed.”

An obituary with more information will be linked here when it becomes available.

We invite members of the Amherst College community to leave notes and remembrances by logging in and clicking “Add comment” below.

Amherst College mourns the passing of Robert R. May on Jan. 20, 2021. May came to the College in 1971 as a clinical psychologist. By 1984, he was director of the Counseling Center. He retired in 2006.

Please see this obituary for more information.

We invite members of the Amherst College community to leave notes and remembrances by logging in and clicking “Add comment” below.