photo by: Nick Krug

Kansas University, seen from the air.

This fall, the University of Kansas community is mourning the deaths of two retired English professors and an African and African-American studies lecturer known for teaching Kiswahili. The university this month shared statements remembering the three teachers.

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George Worth, 87, was a professor emeritus of English who worked at KU for 40 years, including 15 years as English department chair. Worth specialized in Victorian literature, especially the works of Charles Dickens.

Worth was born in Vienna, and as a child left with his family during the Nazi occupation, emigrating first to London then to Chicago, according to his Journal-World obituary.

Dorice Elliott, an associate professor of English who joined KU to teach Victorian literature after Worth’s retirement, described him as “gracious, gentlemanly, intelligent and interesting.”

“I had heard much about George Worth before I came to KU because of his highly respected scholarship in Victorian studies, which gained him an international reputation,” Elliott said in a statement from KU. “He was as kind and helpful to me as anyone could be. He frequently visited my classes on Dickens to give guest lectures, and the students often reported that he was the highlight of the semester.”

Worth died Oct. 7 in Lawrence.

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Stuart Levine, 84, was a professor emeritus of English who specialized in and wrote multiple books on the works of Edgar Allan Poe. According to KU, he also helped establish KU’s department of American Studies and founded the scholarly journal American Studies, which he edited for 30 years.

David Katzman, professor emeritus of American studies who worked as associate editor with Levine, said in a statement from KU, “He loved being editor of the journal and encouraging interdisciplinary scholarship in American studies in the Midwest.”

Levine also was a french horn player who played in the marching bands at Harvard and Brown universities and performed professionally as principal French horn for the Rhode Island Philharmonic, according to his obituary in the Journal-World. In Lawrence he played with the City Band, the Lawrence Woodwind Quintet and the CottonWood Winds.

Levine died Oct. 29 in Lawrence.

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David Mburu, 51, taught many years in Kenya before joining KU, where as a full-time lecturer he taught courses in Kiswahili as well as popular culture in East Africa. His research centered on the Kiswahili language, popular culture in East Africa, gender issues in education, gender and education in Africa, curriculum and instruction and comparative education, according to KU.

“For the three and half years he had been with us he enabled our Kiswahili program to soar in curriculum, teaching resources and assessment,” Peter Ojiambo, associate professor and coordinator of African languages, said in a statement from KU. “He was a man of great character, a talented intellectual, a gifted and dedicated teacher and a wonderful colleague who brought enormous experience and excellence to our language program.”

Mburu died Oct. 30 at KU Medical Center in Kansas City, Kan., according to his Journal-World obituary. His family planned a burial in Kenya.

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• I’m the Journal-World’s KU and higher ed reporter. See all the newspaper’s KU coverage here. Reach me by email at sshepherd@ljworld.com, by phone at 832-7187, on Twitter @saramarieshep or via Facebook at Facebook.com/SaraShepherdNews.