Michael Alexander Wiedorn

I am so sad to hear about Michael's passing. I have such fond and fun memories of him from grad school and wished we could keep in touch. From the messages here I can tell he became a fellow milonguero and I wish I were to find out instead by running into him on the dance floor, somewhere on earth. I'll be hearing him in the music.

Deeply saddened and shocked by Michael's death, which is still hard to grasp. A brilliant scholar, a wonderful colleague, a fantastic teacher, a gracious and generous friend, kind and extremely funny. No one could have animated an online classroom like Michael did, not only reaching out to individual students in the difficulty days of anxiety of the pandemic, but inspiring them. Michael enriched so many of our lives in so many ways.

My sincerest condolences to all his family. Qu'il reste en paix. 'Unforgettable, that's what you are'.

I’m shocked and very saddened to hear of Michael’s death. I have fond memories from his time in Austin that help me smile now. He was kind, quirky, intelligent & always made me laugh. When I use “the trinity” in recipes, I’ll always think of him.

Sending his wife, mother and family my deepest condolences.

Much love to Michael’s family during this difficult time. Michael was a friend at Southwestern and though we didn’t keep up after college it is so sad to know his beautiful kind soul has passed on. I went to my first Mardi Gras thanks to Michael, treated to an enormous crawfish boil by him and Coco. I know his sharp humor, quick smile, and fun loving nature will be sorely missed.

I am deeply saddened to hear of Professor Wiedorns passing. He was both an excellent teacher and mentor to many students at UCD. His kindness, patience and enthusiasm will never be forgotten. My sympathies to all of his family and friends.

To Michael's Mum and to Cecilia. I am so very sorry to hear of Michael's sudden passing. I had the pleasure of meeting up with Michael for a long chat in the Alliance française when he was looking for work in Dublin, and talked with him a few times after that, including with Cecilia at my house for dinner in the garden. I will never forget his gentlemanly ways, warmth, humour and intelligence. I was so impressed with a paper I heard him give in the last few years. Suaimhneas síoraí ar a anam.

My heart was deeply saddened to learn of Michael’s death. I watched his memorial service from Baton Rouge this morning and was moved by the outpouring of love and emotion expressed by his wife, friends and colleagues. Although I only met him briefly, I felt I knew him because his mother Ann, my very dear friend, kept me informed of his activities, accomplishments and travels through the years. As evidenced by the many testimonies and condolences, Michael was an exceptional person who made the world a better place.
My heartfelt sympathy goes to his family, especially to his mother Ann who gave Michael his beautiful smile, charming wit and his ability to perfectly capture French pronunciation.

Sincere condolences to Michael's family, friends, colleagues and students on the loss of such a kind and brilliant person. Qu'il repose en paix.

I’m saddened to hear of Mike’s passing. He was always smiling and had a joke handy at all times. He created great memories from our youth and the world has lost a beautiful soul.

We said our final farewells to our brilliant and much loved colleague Michael today: a passionate academic and a beautiful soul. His kindness will forever stay with us. Heartfelt sympathies to all who knew him.
Suaimhneas síoraí dod' anam uasal is codladh sámh, a Mhicíl. Rest in peace.

Michael was in my PhD cohort in Comparative Literature at the University of Pennsylvania. There were only four of us who started that year--our first day of class was 9/11/2001. It all feels so long ago and also like it happened just yesterday. Michael was a beautiful person inside and out. He was wildly handsome (my roommate at the time was angry because I brought him home to our apartment one morning without giving her proper warning that she needed to change out of her pajamas and brush her hair), kind, and gentle--with a wry sense of humor and a poignant sweetness that hovered around all his interactions. I still remember going to the Reading Terminal Market with him, walking with him as he road his bicycle all over Philadelphia, or listening to his brilliant insights on Caribbeanness in Melville during our seminar with Colin Dayan. I wish we had kept in better touch after we graduated, but I know that no one in our cohort or our graduate program will ever forget him. May his memory be a blessing for his lovely wife, family, and friends all over the world.

I met Michael just a handful of times in Dublin but was struck by his gentlemanly manner and his deep intelligence. My deep condolences to his family and friends.

I wish to offer the family of Michael Wiedorn my deepest condolences. I met Michael on many occasions at our former institution Tulane University in New Orleans. He was a talented scholar with an immense linguistic talent. Above all he was an incredibly warm human being.

It's tough coming to terms with Mike's passing. He was always the life of the party, the voice you wanted to hear. His charisma was undeniable. He made genuine connections all over the world and it was a delight to see people's eyes light up on his approach.
Mike was the type to pull you forward, literally and figuratively. From nature trails to the streets of Paris, he showed me a little more of the world than I would have seen on my own. And all the while talking about the meaning of things, the history of places, the things that could be.
My thoughts and sympathies are with his family and friends, we have all lost a beautiful light in this world.

I am shocked and saddened to hear of Michael's untimely death. He was a wonderful and very involved neighbour who made a real contribution to the neighbourhood (with his dog Mondo!) in the short time he lived here. Heartfelt sympathy to Cecilia and the rest of his family - he will be greatly missed.

I am one of Michael's many cousins (actually I am his Mom's cousin which makes Michael a second cousin or a cousin once removed), but I think I can speak for many of his first, second or even third cousins to say that Michael was our intellectual, funny, charming and very, very dear cousin. He made us laugh, think and feel good. He was totally engaging and a bit exotic with his tango dancing and passion for French Carribean literature and his enthusiasm for family. He seemed to love us just because we were family and that was that. In 2020 Michael on his world tour arrived at my New Delhi home to spend Christmas with me, my two nieces, Pamela and Camille, and my Indian family, the Guptas. We were all captivated by him. He left after 2 months, only to show up back in my life in Austin, TX, where in 2010 he came to teach at St. Edward's University and fast became the highlight of any dinner party he joined in my home. What special memories I have of these two interludes in my life with cousin Michael. He was so loved and will be sorely missed not only by me but by all who knew him.

I am deeply saddened to learn of Michael’s passing. He was a brilliant colleague, a trusted collaborator and a highly valued friend. His skills as a raconteur, and his kindness, will also not be forgotten.
My deepest sympathies go to his family at this time.

Our deepest sympathies to Michael’s family and to his colleagues at UCD. You are in our thoughts at this heartbreaking time.

I was shocked to hear of Mike's death. I'm glad to see that he lived the kind of life he'd envisioned for himself even as a very young man. He was, hands down, one of the kindest people I've ever met. A naturally empathetic person. He had a gifted intelligence, clearly. I just don't know what else to write. There are some people that make the world better merely by being in it, Mike was one of them. He is missed. My condolences to his wife and family.

I am saddened and shocked to hear of Michael's passing. He visited us at UCC some years back and we were struck by his thoughtful intelligence and gentle manner. We extend our deepest sympathy to his wife and family and to our colleagues at UCD. Our thoughts are with you.

Devastated to hear of Prof. Wiedorn’s passing. One of the kindest faculty I had the privilege of working with while in UCD. Not only was he one of the best professors I had the opportunity to learn from, but one of the kindest, most encouraging and intelligent. A loss that will be felt by many far and wide. Thoughts and wishes of peace to his family.