James Daniel Breazeale

1945 - 2023

James Daniel Breazeale

January 23, 1945 - December 30, 2023

Lexington, Kentucky - James Daniel Breazeale (1/23/45 to 12/30/23) was known by many names in his life, including Dan, Danny, Dad, Achoo, and Granddaddy. Through the course of his 78 years, he earned an unlimited number of words to be remembered by, and he would be honored to know that others were inspired to encapsulate his legacy in words of their own, for he was eternally committed to the transformative power of human thought and writing.

By all measures that matter, Dan was larger than life. He was a man of unparalleled conviction, who lived his life intentionally, in deep contemplation. Through it all, he loved in action, not simply in exclamation. Nowhere was this more felt than how he adored his family. Born to Woody and Melba, he was raised in Houston, TX, where two years later he was joined by his younger brother Kelly. Their family remained close throughout the years, regardless of the miles that separated them.

With the solid foundation of this upbringing and the confidence of youth, he was fortunate to convince his high school sweetheart, Viv, to become his wife. He thereby lived his entire adult life in utter devotion to her for over 60 years. To witness their love was a gift, of which they gave freely. They orbited each other, ate every meal together, and until the end, always walked hand in hand. In union, they raised their daughters Nicole and Rebecca in Lexington, KY, where they both remain today. In conjunction with their partners, Phil (deceased), Bleik and Ben, they have subsequently raised families of their own, including Dan's grandchildren, Alex, Anna, Tyson and then Jasper & Owen. In this role of grandfather, in fact, he shone the brightest. And, of course, his life was accompanied by a bevy of dogs who wagged their way through his days. His commitment to family defied the limits of physics, and only grew stronger with each passing year. And while it's impossible to measure this capacity for love, it was felt in the hearts of all who were lucky enough to spend time with him.

Beyond family, Dan was a loyal and trusted friend to so many in all the stages of his life. He inspired them, reveled with them, and quickly formed kinships. His personality was magnetic, drawing people to him, and his quick banter always allowed him to make conversation in a room. He was a beautiful speaker, always quick with a toast, and even faster with a hug. He was witty and warm, and his friends loved to bask in his company.

In parallel to his prioritization of family, Dan was also a man of intellectual genius, and his contributions to the academic world, especially to the field of German philosophy, will never cease to ripple. From his humble roots at Austin College (he was honored many years later with the 2011 Distinguished Alumnus Award) to the awarding of his doctorate from Yale University, he spent his entire teaching career at the University of Kentucky, where he made his home along with a lasting impact on the university community. He earned praise and awards by countless institutions for his work, including an astonishing 6 National Endowment for the Humanities research grants and 2 Humboldt Research fellowships. He gave over 100 invited talks around the world. Furthermore, he was a prolific author. He published 88 book chapters, journal articles, and research essays, along with more than 2 dozen book translations and volumes, including the 2016 monograph, Thinking Through Wissenschaftslehre and the 2021 edited text, J.G. Fichte: Foundations of the Entire Wissenschaftslehre.

Beyond his published body of work, he believed in leadership, helping to found the North American Fichte Society in 1991 and serving as the Philosophy Department Chair not once but twice, from 1998 - 2002 and again from 2007 - 2009. He was a world class beacon for philosophical scholarship and this contribution was recognized by the University of Kentucky's Provost as one of a small handful of Distinguished Service Professors for his outstanding service both to the university as well as to the profession.

Beyond his professional CV, he was, at his core, a mentor. He was deeply respected by his colleagues (no small task in the cut-throat world of academics). Furthermore, he never forgot to take the department secretary out for holidays and remained in communication with her throughout the years. Of greater importance, he regularly received praise from his students, and doctoral students routinely came to UK explicitly to work with Dan. Despite his early tenure, he continued to teach undergraduate students. He received the College of Arts & Sciences Distinguished Professor Award in 2006, honoring him amongst all the faculty in the college as one to emulate. And while he was known for his rigorous standards and tough marks, students clamored to enroll in his classes. He loved to challenge their thinking and inspire them to imagine more. Over the years, he chaired a jaw-dropping 17 graduate students to the completion of their phDs. And he regularly stayed on at the fringes of their lives, beyond their departure from the program.

Aside from his documentable accomplishments, Dan had an insatiable appetite for beauty and life's pleasures. He adored food of all kinds, especially rich French dishes, and he was an accomplished cook in his own right. He particularly enjoyed consumption when shared with others over a hearty debate or a philosophical discussion. He was an avid traveler, having visited nearly every continent. He loved to learn from these visits, partaking of different tastes and customs, architectural sights, and historical importance. He especially enjoyed exploring out of the way places, and likely visited every remote church in France to admire its design and discover its historical significance from his treasured Michelin guides.

He resonated with the arts. No doubt, if an art museum was in driving's distance, he'd be there, preferably to spend the entire day pursuing galleries at his own pace. And there was hardly ever a time when he didn't surround himself with music, especially Bob Dylan. In fact, art and music vied throughout his life for his attention, and he was accomplished in both. He loved to draw, whether with pencil doodles on scrap paper with grandchildren or on canvases with oil paints. He also loved to play music, and would often while away the evening hours picking on a guitar, a banjo, or singing a song with Viv. And his creativity extended beyond the usual artistic mediums. He constantly fashioned handy objects or household repairs from found scraps he collected on his walks to and from the office. There was nothing he couldn't do with a bread twist tie and a scrap of wood in his ramshackle basement.

He also loved the outdoors, and spent much of his younger days rock climbing, backpacking, and hiking his beloved Rocky Mountains in Colorado with friends and family. These experiences were only made better should he get to meander along a stream fly fishing for trout. He loved the water too, and was always happy to splash in the ocean like a young boy or jump into a lake. He was always the adult who joined the kids in the pool.

In each of his pursuits there was a zest for life. Dan loved to laugh, causing his eyes, already deep set, to crinkle in delight. He was a brilliant storyteller, an art he learned from his father and earlier ancestors, which he dutifully passed on to the subsequent generations. When Dan entered a room, he undeniably brought his imposing brain and his passionate heart. But he also brought joy. To honor his legacy, his family, friends, and loved ones must now bring this joy forward. For that is the way life is meant to be lived. And that's the way in which Dan lived his.

The family will host a Celebration of Life for Dan on Saturday January 20th from 10am - 11:30am in Lexington, KY, at the Bolivar Art Gallery at the UK School of Art and Visual Studies at 236 Bolivar St. In lieu of flowers, they ask you to consider a donation to WUKY, his local NPR affiliate, that provided the backdrop to each of his workspaces for decades. May they keep spreading knowledge.