William Robert Nethercut

Dear Bill, I imagine you on a royal barge on the Nile, or singing opera in Florence, or teaching students how to enjoy writing Latin prose. You were a good colleague and a great educator for a long, long time. And a great softball player. I miss you. Tom

radiant joy, wide-ranging interests, love of children and grandchildren, commitment to education and the community, a good friend and caring colleague, we were so happy to be a small part of your life. may your kind of song be sung more and more

Dear Bill, Your humanity, your depth of feeling for the beauties of classical texts, your father-like guidance of students, your willingness to give freely of yourself and your time for the common good, and your contagiously upbeat spirit-and your physical presence in our friendship-are all sorely missed by me. May your gentle soul be resting gently. Tom

Not quite a year since you disappeared and took off for the Isles of the Blessed. How wonderful that you will be able to serenade Egyptian, Greek and Roman gods in their first languages, although I suppose the Roman gods, like all distinguished Romans of their heyday, speak Greek. How were you who you were, Bill? I remember our last dinner (at Jimmy LaFave's favorite Italian restaurant) and last play together at the Paramount. How characteristically thoughtful of you to alert me to it and...

I'm a better man for having known you and been your student, Dr. Nethercut. I'll never forget--and often echo--the booming "Thanks for wearing that" the day I, a lowly graduate student, could exhibit no other redeeming virtue! You truly found beauty wherever you sought it out, and I learned from you to seek it always and everywhere. Peace.

He was a wonderful person. I remember at the end of our Greek lecture, Professor Nethercut gave me advice to living my life. Finding something new in every day so that it is memorable. To this day I still find something new to experience through my senses with professor Nethercut in mind. His energy and person is unforgettable.

Professor Nethercut was a tremendous personality and knowledgeable instructor. His passion for the classics was infectious and I appreciate that I was able to learn from him in Austin. My bookshelf is filled with what we studied in his Ancient Epic class and other works he recommended. He was generous with his time and kind in personal interactions. I will treasure memories of that class forever.

I was a colleague of Bill for nearly 20 years. It took me some time to appreciate all that he did and what a wonderful human being he was. He greeted everyone with a big smile and, if you were lucky, a hug. I will always remember the kindness he showed me when I was returning to work after a period of extended illness. He spent a good 30 minutes talking to me about the challenges of my illness and his admiration for my grit in coming back to work when I was still very much not 100%. I...

I was a student in Dr. Nethercut's seminar on Lucretius' De Rerum Natura in spring 2018. His magnanimity, his great-spiritedness, animated the room and the text. As part of that class, he and I read Catullus' Epyllion one-on-one in his office. His joyful generosity with his time and inability to get frustrated with my simple mistakes are models for me to pattern myself after. His enthusiasm for Egypt was infectious, and even though my area is the archaeology of ancient Italy, he stirred...