Charles A. Vandersee, 64, an associate professor of English and a former dean of the Echols Scholars Program, passed away earlier this month.
Vandersee's sister Barbara Foster said he died of natural causes at his home in Charlottesville. She said he is thought to have died Jan. 2.
A memorial service for Vandersee will be held at 1 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 25, at St. Mark Lutheran Church, located at 100 Alderman Road.
Vandersee joined the University faculty in 1964.
During his time at the University, he published numerous poems and edited a modern edition of John Hay's 1884 novel, "The Bread-Winners." He also was an associate editor of the six volumes of The Letters of Henry Adams, 1858
1892 and 1892
1918.
"He loved teaching, he loved the students and he loved the University," Foster said.
Besides his role as an associate professor, Vandersee served as director of the Echols Scholar Program from 1973 to 1997.
The Echols program "was his love and passion," said James Sofka, current Echols dean and director. "He built it into what it is today."
Sofka added that he had received hundreds of e-mails from alumni expressing their sadness over Vandersee's death.
Foster said Vandersee was a highly intelligent person who also had "a very droll sense of humor" that endeared him to the many friends he had had for decades.
In addition to studying and teaching poetry and literature, Vandersee also was interested in architecture, religion and culinary experimentation, Foster said.
"I'm sure in every city he knew the best restaurant," she said. "He just loved to explore new things."
Vandersee was born in Gary, Ind., and received his B.A. from Valparaiso University in 1960.
He received his M.A. and his Ph.D. from the University of California at Los Angles before coming to the University.
Vandersee was scheduled to teach two classes this semester -- ENAM 482, The 1920s, and ENLT 223, Studies in Poetry. Both classes were cancelled yesterday because of his death.
Since July Sofka had been planning a research scholarship in Vandersee's honor, he said, adding that he plans to continue to pursue and perhaps expand the plans for the scholarship as a result of Vandersee's death.
Sofka, who described Vandersee as "irreplaceable," said that one of his greatest strengths was his ability to take interest in people as individuals.
"Chuck Vandersee always focused on people," he said.
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