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Stanley Insler Obituary
It is with great sadness that the Insler family mourns the passing of Stanley Insler, the Salisbury Professor Emeritus of Sanskrit and Comparative Philology at Yale. Son of Clara and Frank Insler, Stanley was born and raised in the Bronx, New York. He attended the Bronx High School of Science, leaving at 16 to attend Columbia University on a Ford Foundation scholarship. Graduating in 1957, he received his Ph.D from Yale University in 1963 after two years of postgraduate study at the University of Tubingen, Germany. Joining the Yale faculty in 1963, he served two terms at the chair of the Department of Linguistics. Among his many achievements, he is known for his translation of the Gathas, the sacred text of the Zoroastrians. His translation made this classic text accessible to many Parsees, or modern Zoroastrians, many of whom live in London and Bombay. Long-time treasurer of the American Oriental Society, Professor Insler was an active fellow of Jonathan Edwards College and an enthusiastic participant at the Henry Koerner Center for Emeritus Faculty. He is survived by his sister Thelma (Toby) Koenigsberg, his nieces Carol Koenigsberg and Diane Edwards, his nephew Stuart Koenigsberg, and his life partner William C. Sanford.
Friends may attend his Graveside Service on Tuesday, January 8th at 11:00 a.m. in All Saints Cemetery, 700 Middletown Ave, North Haven, CT. A memorial service is planned for April or May 2019. Contributions in Stanley's memory may be made to CT Hospice or the American Cancer Society. For further information or to send a condolence to his family please see:
www.beecherandbennett.com
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Memories and Condolences
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6 Entries
March 3, 2019
I never had the honor of meeting or studying under Dr. Insler, but I greatly admired his scholarship, and when I was a graduate student in comparative linguistics at the University of Michigan I greatly benefited from his brilliant The Gathas of Zarathustra, which substantially aided my study of Avestan. I wish that I had been able to thank him personally for this and his other contributions to Indo-Iranian studies. My sincere condolences to his family, friends and colleagues. Stan McCray, Prof. Emeritus of Linguistics UMBC
Catherine Radford
February 4, 2019
I was privileged to study Sanskrit for a year with Stanley beginning in 1977. We all hung on his every word and delighted in his witticisms, delivered with perfect comic timing. We weren't silent adorers, though. He made us all brighter, funnier, livelier. I still have my class notes, which I treasure. Stanley was a world-class scholar and a brilliant, warm and wonderful man.
Ann Biersteker
January 11, 2019
Stanley was such a brilliant, witty, and kind man. He was my mentor and colleague and he provided me with much useful advice. I will always remember him for his humor and good judgement. My deepest sympathy to his family.
Barbara Cotton (Giamattei)
January 8, 2019
Stanley was more than a friend to me he was a mentor in my youth and yet was also a dear friend i could giggle with. He taught me so much. I loved him. Im so sad Bill. Please Let me know of A memorial service. I wish i said goodbye.
Chris Sharrett
January 7, 2019
I had many a lunch with Stanley in recent years. We enjoyed laughs. I appreciated his erudition. I'll remember him.
Chris Sharrett
Mary Ellen Rousseau
January 7, 2019
Stanley will be sadly missed at the Emeritus activities. Mary Ellen Rousseau, School of Nursing
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