They say he was a man who loved life, loved learning and loved being part of the fabric of Binghamton University.
“This campus was Dick’s home away from home for nearly 40 years,” said Roz Antoun. “He so enjoyed his teaching here, his students, his colleagues and friends.”
And many of those people Professor Richard Antoun so highly regarded were in attendance as Antoun’s widow Roz made her first public remarks since her husband’s death as part of the campus celebration of the late professor’s life.
Co-workers and students from the university’s anthropology department, where Antoun had worked since 1970, and university president Lois DeFleur shared their remembrances of the late professor.
“Dick was one of the first professors I met when I arrived on campus,” DeFleur recalled. “Over the years, he made it a habit to deliver a copy of his newest book to my office and we’d talk about his work on it and I treasure these because each had a most generous inscription on them.”
Those who were close to Antoun say the last few months have been tough.
“You go on with life and then suddenly you remember that he’s not here anymore and there’s this incredible jolt and it just changes the reality that you’re in,” said his friend Donald Quartaert, a B.U. history professor.
University officials say a tree will be planted on campus near Antoun’s office in tribute to his dedication to the university, where even after 10 years of being retired, he visited almost daily to continue his most treasured work, assisting his students.
“They helped him remain young in his thinking and gave him the satisfaction of using his wisdom to help them,” said Antoun’s widow.
Richard Antoun was 77-years-old.
Binghamton University graduate student Abdulsalam Al-Zahrani was charged with second degree murder for Professor Antoun’s death. The 45-year-old pleaded not guilty to the charges earlier this month.
Al-Zahrani is being held at the Broome County jail. A trial date has not been set.
