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Professor Emeritus Esteban Egea Dies at 72

UT Dallas Professor Emeritus Esteban R. Egea died Saturday at his home in Plano, Texas, after a battle with cancer. He was 72.

Egea devoted 29 years of his teaching career in language and literature to UT Dallas.  He also had worked at Ohio State University and Emory University.

“Esteban was dedicated, above all, to the students,” said Dr. Dennis Kratz, dean of the UT Dallas School of Arts and Humanities. “His passion for linguistics, Spanish and language in general was legendary. He was famous for his handouts. Students would stop him years later to say they were still using them.”

UT Dallas Literature Professor Tim Redman remembered Dr. Egea as an outgoing man who took great delight in talking to people. “He had a very wide circle of acquaintances,” Redman said.

Egea was the faculty co-sponsor of the UT Dallas Chess Club when it was started in fall 1995. “The Chess Program was launched the following year,” Redman said. “He was a strong player.”

Egea served on the Executive Committee of the UT Dallas Retiree Association after his retirement from the University in 2006. 

“We will miss his upbeat personality and his enthusiasm for capturing the events of the association through his love for photography,” said Betty Garrett, the association’s president. “His absence will be deeply felt by his many friends and colleagues.”  

Egea was born in Barranquilla, Colombia, in 1938. He received a BA from the Universidad Pedagogica del Caribe, an MA from Ohio State University, and a PhD in Romance languages and literature from Harvard University.

He is survived by his wife, Myrna; two daughters, Leonor and Veronica; a stepson; three granddaughters; a great-grandson; two sons-in-law; and a daughter-in-law.  He was preceded in death by his parents and three brothers.

Services are scheduled for 11 a.m. Tuesday, Nov. 30, at St. Mark’s Catholic Church, 1201 Alma Drive in Plano. Burial will follow at Ridgeview Memorial Park in Allen.

Dr. Esteban Egea devoted 29 years of his teaching career to The University of Texas at Dallas.

Media Contact: The Office of Media Relations, UT Dallas, (972) 883-2155, [email protected].

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