Friday, September 5th, 2008

RIP, Professor Rudnicki

This was some painful news to wake up on to yesterday morning, when my friend left me a message on Facebook, which was sent to my phone. I finally got my Internet to work, and just now read the article and I feel like I can't breathe.....



Memorial service for Professor Rudnicki Sept. 11
By Megan Arends
muarends@yahoo.com



Photobucket

Madonna University mourns the loss of Professor Laurence S. Rudnicki, who passed away June 22, 2008.

Mr. Rudnicki was a well-respected and dedicated teacher, poet, colleague, and friend. He taught English at Madonna for 22 years and leaves an imprint on the lives he touched, especially those in the College of Arts and Humanities.

“He was not just a lover of poetry, but was an accomplished poet himself. He loved literature and taught his students by sharing that love, by engaging them in careful reading of and thoughtful responses to great works of art,” said Kathleen O’Dowd, Dean of Arts and Humanities. “He was a dedicated, sensitive, supportive, and gentle man. He will live on at Madonna, in our history and in the hearts of the students and colleagues whose lives he enriched.”

Teaching was a big part of Mr. Rudnicki’s life. He loved learning and then sharing his knowledge with people around him.

“Larry was intelligent, witty, and understood the value and importance of teaching,” said Kevin Eyster, professor of English and Communication Arts. “I will remember him as a friend and committed teacher who cared deeply about his students.”

He lived a passionate and fulfilling life and that was evident in his encounters with people who met him.

“I will always remember Laurence as one of the most thoughtful and talented colleagues I have ever had the pleasure of working with. He was fiercely dedicated to his art and to his students, who repeatedly expressed their love for his teaching style,” said Cecilia Donohue, Chair of the English and Communication Arts Department. “He would always find the time to show that he cared about his colleagues, though. He would remember what mattered to each individual and never fail to ask about it. Larry was a special man and words cannot express how much he will be missed.”

Mr. Rudnicki was the kind of person who comes around only once in a lifetime, a diamond in the rough.

“He believed life had meaning and, as a poet and teacher, he sought to hunt down that meaning,” said Jim Reilly, professor of English and Communication Arts. “He was an active, provocative seeker who shared readily his life and thoughts while inquiring vigorously about your own. Most of all, this search was conducted with a wonderful blend of humor, curiosity, conviction, and vibrancy, which served to define this delightful, inspired man. In his encounters with us, he reminded us daily of the wonder and the challenge of being alive.”

A memorial Mass for Mr. Rudnicki will be conducted at 11:30 a.m., Thursday, Sept. 11 in the Madonna Chapel.



I could NOT believe it when Katherine told me. It hurts, a lot. He was definitely one of the best English teachers I ever had. I'm soooo glad I took Creative Writing with him. He really made me want to take up reading and writing and... not just read and write, but do it well. Be passionate about it. Because of him, I wanted to major in English even more than I did before.

I can't believe this. I can't describe what he did for me...for others...I wish I could describe it better. Unfortunately, I just woke up and that makes my concentration limited, no matter what the subject, and I don't want to write further about this without truly doing the job right.
(Leave a comment)