LeRoy Lad Panek

1943 - 2021

LeRoy Lad Panek died on Friday, November 5, 2021, after a brief stay at Dove House in Westminster, Maryland, surrounded by his family. Dr. Panek was born in Cleveland, Ohio on January 26, 1943, to Lad and Alice Panek. After studying at Marietta College, Lehigh University, and Kent State University, he accepted a position in the English Department at Western Maryland College (now McDaniel College) where he taught for forty-two years, serving for several years as Chair of the English Department. He was named Professor Emeritus at his retirement in 2010. A prolific scholar of detective fiction, he wrote several books, his last, Nineteenth Century Detective Fiction: An Analytical History, was published in the summer of this year. He will be deeply missed by his huge loving family, his colleagues and his friends. In addition to his wife Christine Mathews, he is survived by his son Alex and wife Michelle and children Audrey and Penelope, his daughter Claire and husband Eric Bellows and children Eavan, Jesse, Lennon, Reilly and August, his stepdaughter Hillary and husband Leo LeFay and children Michael and Haven, his stepdaughter Leslie Durum and husband Casey McConnell and children Julian, Gwendolen and Lucille. He is also survived by his brother Roger and wife Joan and family. Through his marriage to Chris he is survived by many more relatives both in America and Australia. He is also survived by his ex-wife Susan Panek. A memorial service will be held at McDaniel College at a later date.