It is with sadness that I share the email I received from our colleague, Associate Professor David Butt in the Department of Linguistics, and which I have been asked to share with you :
Over 4 decades, one of the wisest and most colourful of our scholars at Macquarie was the historian George Parsons (BA Hons MA Hons U.Syd. PhD Monash; and Hon Birkbeck College, London). Over the last weekend, George passed away in his sleep.
George was the learned and affable person one goes to campus to meet, and with whom discussions of the past, and on the economics and politics of the current moment, were always reasoned and enjoyable. He assisted staff at every level with advice (for which he was often sought out). He was noted also for his candid opposition, when it was deserved.
His network of intellectual contacts concerning Marxist History included one of the giants of C20th history, Eric Hobsbawm. They kept up exchanges even to recent years, and these exchanges illustrated the ideal of mentorship developing into scholarship, and friendship.
George died after months of home care by his partner, Dr. Margaret Hennessy, herself a scholar from Macquarie linguistics - a wonderful teacher, editor, and scholar of French language and culture.
George was an uncompromising scholar, a grand conversationalist, an energetic teacher, and a free spirit.
As many of you, I have had the opportunity for many conversations with George over the past decades and have always enjoyed his joviality and collegiality.
Best, Martina
Professor Martina Möllering
Executive Dean
Over 4 decades, one of the wisest and most colourful of our scholars at Macquarie was the historian George Parsons (BA Hons MA Hons U.Syd. PhD Monash; and Hon Birkbeck College, London). Over the last weekend, George passed away in his sleep.
George was the learned and affable person one goes to campus to meet, and with whom discussions of the past, and on the economics and politics of the current moment, were always reasoned and enjoyable. He assisted staff at every level with advice (for which he was often sought out). He was noted also for his candid opposition, when it was deserved.
His network of intellectual contacts concerning Marxist History included one of the giants of C20th history, Eric Hobsbawm. They kept up exchanges even to recent years, and these exchanges illustrated the ideal of mentorship developing into scholarship, and friendship.
George died after months of home care by his partner, Dr. Margaret Hennessy, herself a scholar from Macquarie linguistics - a wonderful teacher, editor, and scholar of French language and culture.
George was an uncompromising scholar, a grand conversationalist, an energetic teacher, and a free spirit.
As many of you, I have had the opportunity for many conversations with George over the past decades and have always enjoyed his joviality and collegiality.
Best, Martina
Professor Martina Möllering
Executive Dean
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