Alfred Hiltebeitel

Hiltebeitel

Alfred Hiltebeitel April 10, 1942 – March 12, 2023

Alfred Hiltebeitel, Professor of Religion, History, and Human Sciences, died in Cali, Colombia, where he lived with his wife, Elena Garcés Echavarría. Born in New York City in 1942 to George and Lucille Hiltebeitel, he grew up in Weston, CT and attended Oakwood Highschool in Poughkeepsie, NY. He graduated from Haverford College (1963) and earned a Ph.D. (1973) in History of Religions from University of Chicago. In 1968, Alf married Helen Nelson and began teaching at George Washington University. His academic focus was on the Mahabharata and Ramayana, Indian religious tradition and folklore. He wrote over a dozen books, edited and translated several others, and received many awards, including Guggenheim and Woodrow Wilson Fellowships. Alf was a dedicated Red Sox and Celtics supporter, and believed that Celtics coach Red Auerbach was secretly watching him play and would eventually recruit him. While that didn't happen, Alf enjoyed playing Thursday-night basketball from the early 1970s to the 2010s in Washington, DC with friends, including fellow Chicago alumnus Randy Kloetzli, whom he considered his best first reader. He is survived by wife Elena; sons Adam (Rachel) and Simon (Erin Stone); grandchildren Lucille, Alice, and Liam; stepchildren, Santiago, Harold, Enrique, and Alejandro Eder, and their families. He was interred in Iglesia Santa Filomena Cali on March 17, 2023.