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James Heffernan Obituary
Hanover, NH - James Heffernan, Professor of English Emeritus at Dartmouth College and longtime resident of Hanover, died on July 21, 2024 of metastatic prostate cancer. He was 85.
Born in 1939, and raised in the Boston suburb of Jamaica Plain. he earned his B.A. from Georgetown University in 1960 and his Ph.D. in English from Princeton in 1964, shortly before marrying Nancy Coffey of West Virginia in June.
After joining the Dartmouth English Department in the fall of 1965, he taught literature until retiring in 2004 and thereafter continued writing about it. As detailed on his website, his many books and articles ranged from studies of ancient epics to explorations of modern novels, notably James Joyce's Ulysses. He also investigated the complex relations between literature, visual art, and history.
His final book is a memoir posted on his website. Besides a searching history of Dartmouth since 1965, it includes a plea for the revival of what Dartmouth once required of all first year students: one full year of humanities courses ranging from ancient to modern texts.
He is survived by his wife Nancy Heffernan; his two children, Andrew and Virginia Heffernan; and his four grandchildren, Kate Robin Heffernan, Dylan Heffernan, Benjamin Samuels, and Susannah Sanuels.
Funeral services will be held at St. Thomas Episcopal Church in Hanover in the early fall, followed by interment of ashes in the Columbarium.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the LISTEN Center of Lebanon in honor of James.
To plant trees in memory, please visit the Sympathy Store.
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