Walter Bezanson

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Bezanson, Walter Died peacefully in his sleep on February 5, 2011, at age 98, with his wife at his side. He had an unparalleled zest for life. Born on June 19, 1912, to Stanley and Nettie Bezanson, Walter grew up in Needham, Massachusetts and received his bachelor's degree from Dartmouth College, where he studied with Sydney Cox, and his Ph.D from Yale, with a dissertation on Herman Melville. Mentored at Yale by Stanley Williams and Ralph Gabriel, Walter was one of a group of formative scholars of Melville's writings, which had been newly re-discovered. During WWII Walter was in the U.S. Naval Air Force, 1943-46, serving aboard the aircraft carrier Intrepid in the Pacific; in August they were off the coast of Japan, preparing for invasion, when the war was officially ended. Walter taught three years at Harvard and then 35 years at Rutgers in New Brunswick, New Jersey, where he was Professor of English and Chair of American Studies. He was a Fulbright Professor for one year in Leige, Belgium. He was also a visiting professor at several Mid-western colleges, including three summers in the Twin Cities, at Macalester College and the University of Minnesota. In the 1950s, Walter originated several courses in the new discipline of American Studies, including Urban Studies, Film Studies, and African-American Literature. He was recognized as a scholar- writer-critic of the first rank in the study of Herman Melville, and was honored as President of the Melville Society three separate times for outstanding critical writing on Moby-Dick and other works, and for his groundbreaking scholarly edition of Clarel, which still stands as the definitive edition. A born teacher and lecturer, Walter enchanted legions of students with his love of literature and his charismatic ability to engage an audience. After retiring from Rutgers at age 70, Walter continued to lecture in New Jersey. Upon marrying Gail and moving to Brookline, Massachusetts, he taught many courses at the Boston Center for Adult Education on Commonwealth Avenue. After he and Gail moved to St. Louis Park, Minnesota in 2006, he continued to teach short courses in the works of Dickinson, Frost, Faulkner, and other American authors. In addition to his wife of twenty-two years, Gail Coffler, he leaves two sons (from his first marriage) Mark Bezanson (Tricia) of Frenchtown, NJ and James (Laurie) of Portland, OR; his step-son, Douglas Coffler (Kara) and two step-granddaughters, Samantha and Jocelyn, of Minneapolis; his step-daughter, Janna Coffler, of Rockford, Illinois; three nieces in Massachusetts and their families; three Maxwell step-children (from his second wife) and their families, including Rhonda Maxwell Fuhrer (Sebastian) of Rochester, MN. Preceding him in death, besides his parents, were his only sibling, Paul, his first wife, Bett Briggs Bezanson, and his second wife, Jean Maxwell Bezanson. Walter will be deeply missed by many for his wit and wisdom and his great heart. A private ceremony was held on Feb. 6, and a celebration of Walter's life will be held in the spring at Parkshore Apartments in St. Louis Park, Walter and Gail's home for five golden pond years. Memorials in honor of Walter Bezanson may be given for a Melville Scholarship Prize in his name with checks made to The Melville Society, or to the Audubon Society or to N C Little Hospice, 7019 Lynmar Lane, Edina, Minnesota 55435.

Published on February 13, 2011