Obituary: Vincent J. Cleary, Professor Emeritus of Classics

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Vincent J. Cleary, 86, of Amherst, professor emeritus of classics, died Sept. 24 at the Hospice of the Fisher Home.

Born and educated in Philadelphia, he graduated from St. Joseph’s University, in 1954, Villanova University in 1959 and the University of Pennsylvania in 1967.

Following his college graduation, he spent a year at the Josephite Minor Seminary, Epiphany Apostolic College, Newburgh, N.Y., where he studied the Latin language, the genre-Latin poetry and particularly Virgil’s Aeneid, which became the focus of his many years in the classroom.

He joined the faculty in 1971 after previous teaching stints at Villanova and Ohio State. He retired in 1997.

He leaves three sons and two daughters: Thomas (Julie) of Manchester, N.H.; Sean (Joanne) of Belchertown; Frances Cleary (Mark Borwick) of Bronxville, N.Y.; Rosemarie Gage (Brad) of Belchertown; and Stephen (Roseann) of Severna Park, Maryland; two stepsons, Thomas Frisardi of Long Beach, Calif., and Andrew Frisardi (Daphne) of Castiglione, Italy; 11 grandchildren and three step-grandchildren; a brother and brother-in-law as well as numerous nephews and nieces.

Calling hours are Friday, Sept. 28 from 5-8 p.m. at the Douglass Funeral Service, Amherst. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at the Most Holy Redeemer at 10 a.m. on Saturday, Sept. 29. Interment will follow at St. Brigid’s Cemetery, Hadley.

Memorial donations may be made to the Most Holy Redeemer Church, the Amherst Survival Center or the Amherst Historical Society.