Philip H. Zoldester

He was perhaps the only person I knew my whole life. He was at UVA when my parents were there, and NIU when we were there. So many memories with Professor Zoldester and his four dogs.

I was a student of his in the early 1980s. I remember his depth of knowledge and his patience in dealing with us "Kulturbanausen." At the time, I was modern lit maniac, but now -- older -- I've come to appreciate his era much better. I still have many of our texts on my shelf.

Professor Zoldester was a big part of my life. My parents were at UVA with him, and then with him at NIU. I still visited him until late in his life. Forever memories of his dogs Piggy, Meisha, Katya, and Tonya.

Heinz and I shared an office at NIU for 7 years (and a birthday of Oct. 29 also) As a result, I grew to know him extremely well. He was an esteemed colleague as well as a friend. There are several things that I will always remember about him: his devotion to literature, his students, and his dogs. Those of us who had the good fortune to know this insightful, thoughtful, but yet passionate man will remember Piggie, Mischa, Katya, and Tanya, his doggie family. Heinz was always as...

I am the son of Hera Leighton. Professor Zoldester, as I always called him, was a very close friend of my family. He happened to be at the University of Virginia when I was born. When my family moved to Dekalb, he had just started teaching there. He really loved his dogs. He was always walking his dogs around Dekalb. Everybody seemed to know him. He was always a joy to visit. He was always a very good host. I do miss him very much.

I hadn't seen 'Onkel Heinz' in six or seven years when I heard of his passing. He had known me longer than anyone outside my own family. I have many memories of him and his 'puppies'. He was an eminently gentle and civilized person and it was always a pleasure to discuss literature and music with him. As they say, They don't make 'em like that anymore.

'Fidelity, compassion, abiding faith, These comprise humanity, these a man do make'
-- Brij Narain Chakbast (1882-1926), Urdu poet

My deep condolences to the family. I last visited him on my way through Dekalb this past summer. I and my family had known him since 1967 in Charlottesville and had moved together with him to Dekalb in 1972. He was a dear and close friend and we will miss him so very much. There are just too many personal memories of him to enumerate, neither could I describe my appreciation of his kindness, sensitivity and intellect in a few words. It has to be enough to say in such short space that he was...

Wir sind sehr traurig. Heinz bewahrte die Schönheit und Posie der deutschen Sprache für uns Jüngere noch aus einer Zeit, bevor ihr und Menschen schlimmes angetan wurde. Auch im Alltag repräsentierte er nicht nur Syntax und Grammatik sondern den Geist Stifters, Hofmannsthals, Schnitzlers und viele anderer. Sein Andenken ist uns Beispiel!
Dr. MArkus Kiesel (Heidelberg)