Obituary

Judy Jean Chapman, professor emerita of nursing, who led the Vanderbilt University School of Nursing as interim dean in the early 1980s, died Sept. 8 in Nashville. She was 83. Read More

Craig A. Smith, associate professor of psychology and human development at Peabody College, died on Dec. 25, 2024, in Maine. He was 66.  Read More

Stewart, Gertrude Conaway Vanderbilt Chair in the Humanities and professor of religious studies, emeritus, died on Oct. 6, 2024, in Nashville. He was 70. Read More

Patte, an internationally acclaimed biblical scholar and teacher, with a focus on the ethics of biblical interpretation and an emphasis on the contextual character of any interpretation of the Bible, died on Sept. 2, 2024, in Nashville. He was 85. Read More

Dr. Stahlman, professor of Pediatrics and Pathology, Microbiology and Immunology, is credited with establishing at Vanderbilt University Medical Center (VUMC) the nation’s first newborn intensive care unit to use monitored respiratory therapy in babies born with damaged lungs. Read More

A fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, David Wasserman led groundbreaking research studies on the role of physical exercise, insulin-stimulation and diet in metabolism Read More

Auer, senior lecturer of Asian studies, emeritus, died May 16, 2024 at age 82, as a result of complications from Parkinson’s disease. Read More

Joseph J. Cunningham Joseph Cunningham, 82, passed away peacefully on March 8, 2024, at his home in Lake City, Pennsylvania. Cunningham was an accomplished administrator and professor at Vanderbilt Peabody College of education and human development. Upon moving to Nashville in 1969, Cunningham joined the Peabody College faculty as an assistant… Read More

Thomas Weiler, professor of physics and astronomy, emeritus, died December 17, 2023, after enduring a progressive neurodegenerative variant of Parkinson’s disease. He was 74. Read More

David Hercules, Centennial Professor of Chemistry emeritus, who served as the chair of the Department of Chemistry for eight years, died January 20, 2024, after a battle with cancer. He was 91. Read More

John C. Kornblum, distinguished ambassador in residence and writer in residence for the Max Kade Center for European & German Studies, died Dec. 21, 2023, in Nashville. He was 80. Read More

Eugene H. Vaughan, BA’55, a Vanderbilt University Board of Trust emeritus trustee and noted business and civic leader, died Dec. 9 in Houston. He was 90. Read More

Olivia Parrish, a custodian in the Vanderbilt University Maintenance and Operations department, died unexpectedly Oct. 23 during her shift at the Stevenson Center. She was 72. Read More

A memorial service celebrating the life of Sam Hirt, who served as director of campus recreation at Vanderbilt University for 50 years before his retirement in 2013, will be held on Saturday, Nov. 4, at Nashville First Baptist Church. Hirt died on Aug. 10 in Nashville. He was 82. Read More

Dan Church, professor emeritus of French and former director of the Vanderbilt Language Lab, died Oct. 9 in Nashville. He was 84. Read More

Enrique Pupo-Walker, Centennial Professor of Spanish and Portuguese Emeritus and former director of the Center for Latin American and Iberian Studies at Vanderbilt, died Sept. 25 in Nashville. He was 90. Read More

Angelika Amon, PhD, a pioneering cell and molecular biologist and winner of the 2018 Vanderbilt Prize in Biomedical Science, died Oct. 29 from cancer. She was 53. Read More

Vanderbilt emeritus professor of economics John Vrooman, who had a passion for all things sports and taught one of the most popular classes at Vanderbilt focusing on sports economics, passed away on July 5. Before he passed, Vrooman asked that he not have an official obituary, but fellow economics professor Robert Driskill wrote this remembrance of Vrooman, who had a teaching career that spanned almost five decades. Read More

By Andrew Maraniss, BA’92 “We are deeply saddened by the passing of Perry Wallace, who through quiet strength and courage blazed a trail that still serves as a lesson in resilience and perseverance in the face of incredible obstacles. We are more fortunate for having known him and for… Read More

William W. Bain Jr., BA’59:  Long-Term Strategist William W. Bain Jr., an alumnus and emeritus member of the Board of Trust, died Jan. 16 at his home in Naples, Florida. He was 80 years old. Bain founded Bain & Co., a corporate strategy consulting… Read More