We are saddened to report the October 8th passing of Professor Emeritus Kent Bales, who served the Department of English for 41 years until his retirement in 2008. A graduate of Yale (BA) and Berkeley (PhD), Bales joined the English faculty in 1967 and went on to chair the department twice, as well as direct both undergraduate and graduate studies. He also served as chair of both the University's Senate Joint Committee on Faculty Affairs and Senate Joint Committee on Faculty Appointments. A scholar of American literature, he was well-known for his writing on Hawthorne. He is survived by his wife, Maria; daughter Liza (David) Lee and son Tom (Tiziana) Bales, five grandchildren and many other loving family members and good friends. A private celebration of his life will be held in the coming weeks. Memorials preferred to the Alzheimer's Association or the Sierra Club.
