Noel and Laura Robertson at a Department of Classics picnic in 1971.
It is with great sadness that we pass along news of the death of Dr. Noel Robertson, Professor Emeritus of Classics at Brock University. Noel died peacefully on September 12, 2019 at the age of 83 in Victoria, BC, and leaves behind his wife Laura Robertson, children, and grandchildren.
Noel was born in Winnipeg, Manitoba and moved at an early age to Fort William, Ontario. He earned his BA at the University of Toronto, and his M.A. and Ph.D. in Classical Philology at Cornell University. While a graduate student, he spent time at the American School for Classical Studies at Athens and participated in archaeological excavations at Corinth, where he met his wife and fellow graduate student Laura Fahy. After graduate school he was appointed a fellow at the University of Bristol, and a post-doctoral fellow at Cornell University, before beginning his tenure in the Department of Classics at Brock University in 1970. He taught at Brock for 32 years, until his retirement in 2002.
At Brock, Noel chaired the Department of Classics on two occasions (1973-82, 1998-2001), and served on numerous committees. He also served as a member of the board of directors for the Canadian Archaeological Institute at Athens (now the Canadian Institute in Greece) from 1978-80, and as Vice-President of the Classical Association of Canada from 1994-96.
Noel authored a large body of scholarly works, with an emphasis on ritual and religious practice in ancient Greek society. He read Latin, Greek, German, and French, and he authored some 80 articles and chapters as well as two books: Festivals and Legends: The Formation of Greek Cities in the Light of Public Ritual(1992) and Religion and Reconciliation in Greek Cities: The Sacred Laws of Selinas and Cyrene(2009) as well as an edited volume, The Archaeology of Cyprus: Recent Developments(1976). His research at the American School and his utilization of material culture in his scholarship made him a pioneer of the Department’s unique brand of interdisciplinarity.
In lieu of flowers, Noel’s family has asked that donations may be made to: The American School of Classical Studies at Athens, 6-8 Charlton St., Princeton, NJ 08540-5232; email: ascsa@ascsa.org.
Our heartfelt condolences to his wife Laura and all family members. Hold tight to the memories and may they comfort you at this difficult time and in the days ahead.
https://www.legacy.com/obituaries/nytimes/obituary.aspx?n=noel-deeves-robertson&pid=193913927
https://brocku.ca/humanities/classics/faculty-and-staff/noel-robertson/#publications
