Taddesse Adera, friend of peers and students at UMW, dies at 53

Beloved UMW professor passed away Tuesday

Date published: 1/19/2006

By MELISSA NIX

By MELISSA NIX

Taddesse Adera, a well-known and well-loved professor of English at the University of Mary Washington, died Tuesday at his Spotsylvania County home. He was 53.

Adera failed to show up for classes on Tuesday. Teresa Kennedy, chairwoman of the English department, asked physics department chairman George King to check on Adera at home.

King, who had known Adera for 16 years, was one of his closest friends. He called 911 when his friend failed to come to the door.

Campus officials suspect Adera died of natural causes, spokeswoman Margaret Mock said, but that has not been confirmed by any medical officials.

"I miss my good friend," King said yesterday. "Taddesse was a quiet person and a good listener. Sometimes friends need that."

In addition to being a cherished friend, Adera was also an exemplary professor, King said.

"The only thing that separates one professor from another is their ability to connect with their students. What came across most with his students was that he was really able to connect with them in some way. He had participated in the things he was teaching from a life-experience point of view. He exposed them to things many of them had never thought about."

Originally from Ethiopia, Adera earned his bachelor's degree in English from Addis Ababa University in 1980.

He was a political activist in high school and college, and was imprisoned for three years because of his activism, friend and colleague Steve Watkins said. Adera left his homeland in the early '80s fearing for his life.

"He left his family behind," Watkins added. "If he stayed, his life was literally in danger."

Watkins last saw Adera on Monday.

"He seemed quiet," said Watkins, who is an associate professor of English. "But then Adera was very quiet and dignified."

Like King, Watkins had known Adera for 16 years.

After coming to the United States, Adera earned his master's and doctoral degrees in English from the University of Washington. He joined UMW's English department in 1989.

Date published: 1/19/2006