Jay Fliegelman
Jay Fliegelman, the Coe professor in American literature at Stanford University, and a leading figure in American studies, died Aug. 14 at his home in Menlo Park due to complications from liver disease and cancer. He was 58.Mr. Fliegelman’s concentration was in American literary and cultural history from 1620 to 1860. His two books, “Prodigals and Pilgrims: The American Revolution Against Patriarchal Authority, 1750-1800,” and “Declaring Independence: Jefferson, Natural Language, and the Culture of Performance,” were pioneering efforts that proved very influential in the field of early American literature and culture.
He was known for his intense study of cultural artifacts and avid interest in people’s relationships with objects. A collector of rare texts, he was working on his third book, “Belongings: Dramas of American Book Ownership, 1660-1860,” when he died.
Although an avid scholar, Mr. Fliegelman was recognized as a passionate teacher, as well. He is the recipient of both the Dean’s Award for Distinguished Teaching and the Associated Students of Stanford University Award for Outstanding Teaching.
“Teaching was absolutely his life,” said Nancy Ruttenburg, chair of the Department of Comparative Literature at New York University, and a former student of his. “He really brought our work into being.”
Born in New York City, Mr. Fliegelman received his bachelor of arts degree magna cum laude from Wesleyan University in 1971. He received his Ph.D. in 1977 from Stanford and joined the faculty there the same year.
Mr. Fliegelman is survived by his wife Christine Guth, an independent scholar and recent Stanford Humanities Center fellow, and sister Sarah Beneson of Menlo Park.
The Stanford English Department will hold a formal memorial service at the beginning of the fall quarter.
Morgan J. Morley
Morgan Morley, a resident of Menlo Park for 27 years, died July 8 in his home. He was a retired physicist, World War II veteran, gourmand, world traveler and 49ers fan, say family members. He was 84.Born in Arizona, he moved to California as a child, and grew up in Los Angeles.
“He was educated at various U.C.s, culminating with a Ph.D. in physics,” said his wife of 40 years, Judy Morley.
He served in the U.S. Army Air Corps during World War II, after which he worked as a physicist in industry for 40 years, including doing research in controlled thermo-nuclear reaction.
He and his wife shared interests in travel, art films, and their backyard garden. They traveled throughout the world, a highlight of which was a year of travel in Asia, during which they trekked the outback of Mongolia, among other adventures — “a memory that lasted,” said Ms. Morley.
He was an avid reader and enjoyed his daily walks through the neighborhood, often with his standard poodles.
Knowing his life was ending, his family celebrated him during his last month, said Ms. Morley. “Friends came form across the country: they took him to Yosemite, to the Smuin Ballet, to ‘Ephigenie’ at the San Francisco Opera, and to fine restaurants in the Bay Area,” she said. “Nearly to the end, he was able to enjoy life’s pleasures and express his gratitude for a life well-lived.”
In addition to his wife, he is survived by two children, Michael of Gardnerville, Nevada, and Ana of San Francisco.
No services are planned. “He had the pleasure of enjoying a living wake,” Ms. Morley said.
