Kansas University administrators expressed grief at the loss of a longtime faculty member and former philosophy department chairman.

A.C. “Tony” Genova, 80, died Saturday at his home. He came to KU in 1972 and was chairman of philosophy from 1978 to 2004.

Ben Eggleston, current chairman of the philosophy department, expressed “great sadness” at the loss of a colleague.

“Tony was a valued friend and colleague and was an original personality — astute, energetic and delightfully irreverent,” Eggleston said. “He was deeply engaged both in the field of philosophy and in the life of the KU philosophy department. Every day, he came to the office and enriched his colleagues’ and students’ lives with his wide-ranging philosophical abilities and interests and with his eagerness to help the department excel.”

Services are pending.