David Hard Zucker

1938 - 2024

David Hard Zucker died at his home in Tucson on December 14, 2024, at age 86.

David was born on May 27, 1938, in Cleveland, Ohio, the second child of Louise (Hard) and Lester Zucker. When the family moved to Kansas City, Missouri, he attended Southwest High School, then went to Oberlin (1960, BA in English).

After graduation, he headed to New York City, where he worked as an editorial assistant on the Columbia Encyclopedia. While in New York, he met Susan Shapiro, and within six months they were engaged. They married in 1962, the beginning of 32 years of life together. They moved upstate to Syracuse, NY, where David earned a Masters and Ph.D. in English. During this time, the couple welcomed their two daughters.

David began his teaching career in 1968 at Washington & Lee University. In 1971, the family moved to Hamden, Connecticut, where David taught Quinnipiac University. He eventually rose to full professor, and taught in the English Department until his retirement in 2008.

At Hamden's Temple Beth Sholom, he reconnected with his Jewish roots. He and Susan loved going to plays in New Haven's energetic theater scene, movies, art museums, and Mets games, often bringing their daughters along. David enjoyed traveling the world to the UK and Ireland with Susan and friends, to France and Italy on a solo-sabbatical trip, and with the whole family for a summer in Jerusalem.

At home, he always tended a vegetable garden, baked bread, and enjoyed cooking from a variety of cuisines. He loved classical music and jazz. David was not a political firebrand, but kept up with the news, supported progressive politicians and causes, and was increasingly active in his union (AFT) through the years. He taught adult literacy in Hamden and literature to prisoners, and became an advocate for domestic-violence survivors.

Literature was his guiding star, and learning was his passion. David loved Shakespeare reading, watching, teaching and also a wide range of modern and contemporary writers, bringing numerous poets to the college for readings. David published a number of his own poems over the years, and also co-edited a book of essays by his late professor, Delmore Schwartz. Whatever caught his interest, he dove into, whether ancient Greek or World Cup soccer. He was always reading.

In 1994, he and Betsey Parlato met and fell in love. They married in 1997, and moved to Tucson about 12 years later. They loved going to movies together, played golf, traveled widely, went annually to Hawai'iwhich is where David's ashes will be scatteredand hiked in the mountains near Tucson. Together, they became docents at the Tucson Museum of Art (David at the university art gallery also), and adopted a greatly-cherished dog named Scamper. David was a tremendously fun and supportive husband.

In retirement, he took up abstract painting, spending hours at a time in a studio Betsey had built for him. He had long since dropped any religious affiliation, but treasured ethics, beauty, and wisdom as the core of a spiritual life. He adored his grandchildren, and maintained lifelong friendships with classmates from Oberlin and Syracuse, as well as his colleagues.

David was preceded in death by his parents, his sister Lynne (Zucker) Roth, and too many dear friends. He leaves his beloved wife Betsey Parlato; daughters Erika Zucker (John Jabaley) of New Orleans and Amy Zucker Morgenstern (Joy Morgenstern) of San Francisco, and grandchildren Hannah Jabaley, Isaac Jabaley, and Indigo Morgenstern; Betsey's children and grandchildren, for whom he felt great affection; and many friends.

We who loved David will always remember his sense of humor, insatiable curiosity, compassion, love of the arts, and readiness to express his love.

We will say our goodbyes in a memorial service at Mountain Vista Unitarian Universalist Congregation, 3235 W. Orange Grove Rd, Tucson, AZ 85741, on Saturday, April 12, at 10 a.m. (also available by Zoom; shorturl.at/fcSQK ). To honor David's memory with a donation, please support any anti-domestic-violence organization.