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Kenneth Allin Luther
Kenneth A. Luther, professor of Persian studies, died Jan. 22, 1997 at Glacier Hills Nursing Center in Ann Arbor after a brief illness. He was 97.
preceded in death by his wife, the former Mary H. Wallace who died July 13, 1997 in Ann Arbor after a long series of health problems. He was 85.
Morley retired from the U-M in 1978 after 30 years on the faculty. At the time of his retirement, he held a joint appointment in the Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation and the Department of Communicative Disorders.
"As a faculty member in speech and language pathology, Dick touched the lives of many students and they were much better clinicians for having the opportunity to learn from him," said Holly K. Craig, director of the Communicative Disorders Clinic. "He enjoyed the respect of colleagues nationally, the University community; many clients and innumerable students. He was committed to improving the lives of individuals with communication problems, and the legacy he leaves with his many students allows thi s commitment to continue."
Morley began his U-M career as an instructor in 1948 and rose through the ranks to professor in 1958. He also taught at the University of Pennsylvania and State Teachers College, California, Pa. As a Fulbright Lecturer, he taught at the University of Oslo and the American Academy of Athens.
He conducted research on speech disorders in cerebral palsy, dysarthria, communicative problems of aging and neurological disorders. He was described by students as an inspiring teacher, caring mentor and skilled counselor, and was an undergraduate ad viser for many years.
During World War II he served in the Navy at the U.S. Naval Hospital, Acoustic Laboratory in Philadelphia. His other hospital service included the U-M; Rikshopitalet, University of Oslo; U.S. Veterans Administration Hospital, Ann Arbor; Detroit Cerebr al Palsy Center; and Detroit Orthopedic Clinic.
He had served as president of the Michigan Speech and Health Association and of the United Cerebral Palsy Association of Washtenaw County; on the editorial boards of the Journal of Speech and Hearing Disorders and the Journal of Speech and Hearing Rese arch; and was director of the Division of Communication Problems of the Aging, American Speech and Hearing Association (ASHA).
He was an ASHA fellow, associate in the National Geriatrics Society, and was listed in the American Men of Science, Directory of International Biography, Directory of American Scholars, Who's Who in the Midwest and Who's Who in Education. He held cons ulting positions with the Professional Advisory Board, United Cerebral Palsy Association of Michigan; United Cerebral Palsy Association of Detroit; and the Ann Arbor VA Hospital.
He is survived by his wife, Joan; daughter Ann Marie Topp of Williamsburg, Va.; and grandson Eric Topp. He was died July 12, 1997 following a long illness. She was 79.
Mangus served Harlan H. Hatcher, Robben W. Fleming, Allan F. Smith and Harold T. Shapiro. She was a volunteer at the Bentley Historical Library following her retirement.
Surviving are three sisters, Frances (Norman) Wacker of Whitmore Lake, Ruth (Bernard) Grimes of Fountain, Mich., and Alyce (Michael> Supina of Belleville; and two brothers Harold (Martha) of Winter Haven, Fla., and John of Columbus, Ohio.
Memorial contributions may be made to the U-M Cancer Research Center or the First United Methodist Church, 120 South State St., Ann Arbor, MI 48104.
Gregory L. Lucente
Gregory L. Lucente, professor of Italian and comparative literature died in an auto accident June 26, 1997. He was 49.
An Illinois native and a resident of Pinkney, Lucente graduated cum laude with a bachelor's from Yale in 1970, a master's from Middlebury College in 1973 and a Ph.D. from the University of Wisconsin, Madison, in 1979.
Before joining the U-M in 1988, Lucente taught Italian at Loyola University of Chicago and The Johns Hopkins University. A 1984 recipient of a Fulbright Senior Scholars Program Research Fellowship, Lucente also served as chair of various conventions and sessions dealing with Italian literature as well as directing the U-M/University of Wisconsin Spring Program in Florence and organizing several conferences and symposia held at the U-M.
"Faculty and students of romance languages and comparative literature are stunned and saddened by Professor Lucente's death," said Prof. William Paulson, former chair of the Department of Romance Languages and Literatures. "Professor Lucente was a leading scholar of modern Italian and comparative literature and the author of major works on modern fiction and cultural theory."
His latest book, Crosspaths: Essays in Italian and American Criticism and Theory, is about to appear from Stanford University Press. Last year he published his first novel, Over the Mountain.
Among his professional interests were Provencal and Italian lyric poetry of the Middle Ages and the Renaissance, 19th- and 20th-century Italian poetry, the development of the Italian novel (18th-20th centuries) and contemporary American and Italian cinema.
"As head of the Italian section in the Department of Romance Languages, Professor Lucente was responsible for developing a superb program that combines language instruction with a serious understanding of Italian culture" said Chair Jose Rabasa. "Over the years, Professor Lucente showed a commitment to the comparative studies in romance languages and literatures without which the department would not have its current reputation for excellence in teaching and research."
Survivors include his wife, M. Gloria Lauri-Lucente, of Pinckney; his parents; and two brothers.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Lucente Fund, Program in Comparative Literature, or Lucente Fund, Department of Romance Languages and Literatures.
