John Van Doren, 90, passed away at his New York City home on Sunday, 27 January 2019, with his family by his side.
John was born in West Cornwall, Connecticut on 18 April 1928, to Mark and Dorothy (Graffe) Van Doren. He was raised in Greenwich Village in a family of writers. His father, Mark, and uncle, Carl, were both Pulitzer Prize authors; his mother, Dorothy, a novelist and editor at The Nation; his aunt, Irita, an editor at the New York Herald Tribune; and his big brother, Charles, an author, editor and teacher.
His was a life full of passion for books and ideas. Whether it was the works of Aristotle or Agatha Christie, John was forever engaged by literature and could quote Shakespeare with ease. He shared this passion with his students as a professor at Brandeis, Smith College and Boston University. His devotion to his alma mater, St. John's College in Annapolis, Maryland (the "Great Books" school) was lifelong.
John received his Ph.D. in History from Columbia; then served in the Army.
He moved his young family from Boston, Massachusetts to Chicago, Illinois in 1969, where he became Executive Editor of The Great Ideas Today. He wrote poetry for many years and served on the Board of the Poetry Society of Chicago.
He spent many happy years at his weekend house in Cornwall, Connecticut.
John was loved, dearly, by Mira, his wife of sixty-four years, who is an artist and filmmaker. They shared an appreciation for art, music and traveling throughout Europe.
He will be missed for his warmth, generosity, humility, humor, and love of animals--especially his cat, Oliver.
Services were held at 2:30 P.M., on Thursday, 31 January 2019, at The Riverside Funeral Home, West 76th Street / Amsterdam Avenue, New York City.
John was born in West Cornwall, Connecticut on 18 April 1928, to Mark and Dorothy (Graffe) Van Doren. He was raised in Greenwich Village in a family of writers. His father, Mark, and uncle, Carl, were both Pulitzer Prize authors; his mother, Dorothy, a novelist and editor at The Nation; his aunt, Irita, an editor at the New York Herald Tribune; and his big brother, Charles, an author, editor and teacher.
His was a life full of passion for books and ideas. Whether it was the works of Aristotle or Agatha Christie, John was forever engaged by literature and could quote Shakespeare with ease. He shared this passion with his students as a professor at Brandeis, Smith College and Boston University. His devotion to his alma mater, St. John's College in Annapolis, Maryland (the "Great Books" school) was lifelong.
John received his Ph.D. in History from Columbia; then served in the Army.
He moved his young family from Boston, Massachusetts to Chicago, Illinois in 1969, where he became Executive Editor of The Great Ideas Today. He wrote poetry for many years and served on the Board of the Poetry Society of Chicago.
He spent many happy years at his weekend house in Cornwall, Connecticut.
John was loved, dearly, by Mira, his wife of sixty-four years, who is an artist and filmmaker. They shared an appreciation for art, music and traveling throughout Europe.
He will be missed for his warmth, generosity, humility, humor, and love of animals--especially his cat, Oliver.
Services were held at 2:30 P.M., on Thursday, 31 January 2019, at The Riverside Funeral Home, West 76th Street / Amsterdam Avenue, New York City.
John Van Doren, 90, passed away at his New York City home on Sunday, 27 January 2019, with his family by his side.
John was born in West Cornwall, Connecticut on 18 April 1928, to Mark and Dorothy (Graffe) Van Doren. He was raised in Greenwich Village in a family of writers. His father, Mark, and uncle, Carl, were both Pulitzer Prize authors; his mother, Dorothy, a novelist and editor at The Nation; his aunt, Irita, an editor at the New York Herald Tribune; and his big brother, Charles, an author, editor and teacher.
His was a life full of passion for books and ideas. Whether it was the works of Aristotle or Agatha Christie, John was forever engaged by literature and could quote Shakespeare with ease. He shared this passion with his students as a professor at Brandeis, Smith College and Boston University. His devotion to his alma mater, St. John's College in Annapolis, Maryland (the "Great Books" school) was lifelong.
John received his Ph.D. in History from Columbia; then served in the Army.
He moved his young family from Boston, Massachusetts to Chicago, Illinois in 1969, where he became Executive Editor of The Great Ideas Today. He wrote poetry for many years and served on the Board of the Poetry Society of Chicago.
He spent many happy years at his weekend house in Cornwall, Connecticut.
John was loved, dearly, by Mira, his wife of sixty-four years, who is an artist and filmmaker. They shared an appreciation for art, music and traveling throughout Europe.
He will be missed for his warmth, generosity, humility, humor, and love of animals--especially his cat, Oliver.
Services were held at 2:30 P.M., on Thursday, 31 January 2019, at The Riverside Funeral Home, West 76th Street / Amsterdam Avenue, New York City.
John was born in West Cornwall, Connecticut on 18 April 1928, to Mark and Dorothy (Graffe) Van Doren. He was raised in Greenwich Village in a family of writers. His father, Mark, and uncle, Carl, were both Pulitzer Prize authors; his mother, Dorothy, a novelist and editor at The Nation; his aunt, Irita, an editor at the New York Herald Tribune; and his big brother, Charles, an author, editor and teacher.
His was a life full of passion for books and ideas. Whether it was the works of Aristotle or Agatha Christie, John was forever engaged by literature and could quote Shakespeare with ease. He shared this passion with his students as a professor at Brandeis, Smith College and Boston University. His devotion to his alma mater, St. John's College in Annapolis, Maryland (the "Great Books" school) was lifelong.
John received his Ph.D. in History from Columbia; then served in the Army.
He moved his young family from Boston, Massachusetts to Chicago, Illinois in 1969, where he became Executive Editor of The Great Ideas Today. He wrote poetry for many years and served on the Board of the Poetry Society of Chicago.
He spent many happy years at his weekend house in Cornwall, Connecticut.
John was loved, dearly, by Mira, his wife of sixty-four years, who is an artist and filmmaker. They shared an appreciation for art, music and traveling throughout Europe.
He will be missed for his warmth, generosity, humility, humor, and love of animals--especially his cat, Oliver.
Services were held at 2:30 P.M., on Thursday, 31 January 2019, at The Riverside Funeral Home, West 76th Street / Amsterdam Avenue, New York City.
Gravesite Details
Site not disclosed.
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