Portrait of Paul Brockelman painted by Adeline Goldminc-Tronzo
Dear Friends,
Sadly, Paul Brockelman passed away Friday, January 8th.
Paul was a distinguished Professor of Philosophy at UNH from 1963 to 2001. In addition to his important role in our department, Paul was also the Coordinator of the UNH Religious Studies program from 1979 to 1996, and the prime mover behind its emergence. He played a similar role for the Masters of Arts in Liberal Studies (The MALS program), as its founding director in 1996. Furthermore, Paul was a founding member of the inter-college team-taught INCO 796: Cosmology and Our View of the World, attended by students of all ranks, right from first year to grad students, and now in its third decade of offerings. These are amazing contributions to the fabric of our institution, and a tribute to not only Paul's passionate interdisciplinarity, but also to his capacity to bring people together for creative institutional endeavors.
Paul was also a prestigious scholar, authoring, translating, or co-editing at least seven books. Some of the titles display his range:
- Existential Phenomenology and the World of Ordinary Experience: An Introduction;
- Time and Self: Phenomenological Explorations;
- The Inside Story: A Narrative Approach to Religious Understanding and Truth;
- The Greening of Faith: God, the Environment, and the Good Life; and
- Cosmology and Creation: The Spiritual Significance of Contemporary Cosmology.
In addition to a distinguished research career, Paul was an exceptionally successful and well-loved teacher. He was awarded COLA's Distinguished Teaching Award in 1986, and then in 1997, he received the Gary Lindberg Award for Excellence in Teaching and Research.
Paul was a leading figure on campus, a champion of the liberal arts, a friend to many, an exceptional colleague, teacher, and exemplary citizen of our university. He was also an especially good human being, with a rare way of projecting, consistently and transparently, an openness, generosity of spirit, and kindness, that made all feel safe, valued, and invited.
If you wish to share condolences, or reminiscences with Paul's family, please email them to Mira Brockelman at miramirab@gmail.com.
Both the memorial service and the reception are open to the public and all friends and colleagues of Paul's are most welcome. More information about the service is here.
Sincerely,
Paul McNamara
Chair, Philosophy
