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James Gleason Obituary
Family-Placed Obituary
GLEASON, James J. Age 74, of Oakwood, died Sunday February 12, 2006 at Miami Valley Hospital. He was a retired English Professor with Wright State University with 27 years of service. He served in the U.S. Navy He was preceded in death by his son, James A. Gleason, parents, John and Ann Gleason and Brother, Dan Gleason; He is survived by his wife of 51 years Ellen (Bourke) Gleason; son and daughter-in-law, John & Sylvia Gleason; daughters & sons-in-law, Mary & Tom Bartlett, Cathy & Jim Lawler, Ellen & Jim McElwain; daughter-in-law, Lauren Gleason; brother and sister-in-law, Philip & Maureen Gleason; numerous grandchildren. Prayer service will be held Friday 9:30am at Meyer-Boehmer & Reis Funeral Home, 1733 Brown St. Followed by Mass of Christian Burial 10am at Holy Angels Catholic Church. Burial Calvary Cemetery. Family will receive friends Thursday 5-8pm at the funeral home.
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Memories and Condolences
for James Gleason
2 Entries
Cathy Sayer
February 16, 2006
Dr. Gleason was the first Wright State professor I encountered as a student, and he holds a special place in my heart.
When I returned to college after a thirteen year absence, more nervous than I had been as an eighteen-year-old, I was not sure this farmer’s daughter and mother of two could handle college work. Dr. Gleason was the professor in the English 111 course for which I had registered; and on the first day of class, he assigned us to write an essay on our favorite television show, what made it a good show, why we liked it, etc. I anxiously wrote my essay and turned it in. Then at the beginning of the next class, he asked me to see him when class was over. I was sure he was going to tell me I would need tutoring or a remedial class; and my fears were confirmed when he muttered in his low, husky voice, “You need to get out of this class.” I stammered a few seconds and tried to calm myself and contain the gathering tears. “No, no,” he half whispered, “you need to skip this class and get into the next one, 112.” I was skeptical about being able to do well in the more advanced class without taking the first one and was even more doubtful when we discovered that the only section open was an honors section. Dr. Gleason assured me, however, that my essay clearly demonstrated to him that I would be able to succeed.
I feel blessed to have been a student in both undergraduate and graduate classes taught by Dr. Gleason. He was a wonderful teacher with a subtle sense of humor that you might miss if you weren’t paying attention. His love for literature and its study was contagious. Yet he possessed the humility to easily countenance students who disagreed with his analysis or assessment of a work. He had a sharp mind, too. When he retired, thirteen years (and two babies) after I wrote that English 111 essay, he still remembered the topic.
I will always remember Dr. Gleason. His confidence in me in the second beginning of my academic career was a great encouragement. If not for him, perhaps I would not be teaching my own English classes at Wright State today.
Roberta Boyd
February 15, 2006
Our sincere condolences go out to the Gleason family.
Will and Roberta Boyd
(Wright State University)
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