OU professor emeritus died from being hit by a car last weekend; students and Athens locals mourn his death.
Ohio University faculty and students continue to grieve with Athens residents after the loss of beloved professor Richard Syracuse.
The 80-year-old professor emeritus, who taught keyboard at the Ohio University School of Music, was pronounced dead at OhioHealth O’Bleness Hospital on Friday after being struck by a car on Radford Road.
Sarah Harkins, the driver of the car, was not injured. The crash remains under investigation, according to a news release from the Ohio State Highway Patrol.
Christopher Fisher, associate professor of piano at OU, said he was interviewed and hired by Syracuse. He added that Syracuse was the first person he met upon arriving to OU.
“(Syracuse was a) confident musician and a devoted teacher with the highest integrity,” Fisher said. “His death is a tragic loss for all of us in the music school. He was an extraordinary person.”
Gail Berenson, professor emeritus of piano performance at OU, said she was a close friend of Syracuse and that his death was a loss to not just the OU community, but the Athens community as well.
“He was a magnificent pianist, colleague and teacher,” Berenson said.
The Ohio University Inn, 331 Richland Ave., was a second home to Syracuse, where he played piano for guests during the dinner service at Cutler’s Restaurant.
Many people went to dinner there to hear him play, even if they were not guests at the hotel.
“(Syracuse) loved playing at the OU Inn in order to meet new people,” Berenson said. “He was a kind and friendly person, who smiled and talked to anybody he saw.”
His colleagues are not the only ones mourning his death. OU students were also impacted by Syracuse’s music and friendly personality.
Megan Beerse, a senior studying art at OU, said she ran into Syracuse often on Court Street and in Glidden Hall, where he regularly spent time practicing the piano and teaching.
“He had one of the best hearts of Athens, Ohio, that is for sure,” Beerse said. “My heart goes out to his family and friends.”
Christopher Hayes, director of the Ohio University School of Music, described Syracuse as a “wonderful faculty member and musician.”
“His loss is felt by faculty, students, and the Athens community as a whole,” he said.
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