 "Photo: UT OPA")
UT philosophy professor Robert C. Solomon, 64, died Jan. 2 on a trip to Europe to visit his brother.
In the days before he died, Solomon was working on a book about death.
"It was odd to see what his perspective on this was," said Kathleen Higgins, Solomon's wife and fellow philosophy professor at UT. "An English professor colleague of ours said that this is why what we do is so important, because our words are left afterwards."
Higgins said Solomon died at the Zurich airport on the way to catch a plane to Rome. Solomon said he felt dizzy and collapsed. Though Solomon received first-aid, he died shortly afterward.
Higgins said Solomon suffered from a congenital heart disorder that contributed to his death.
Philosophy department chair David Sosa said Solomon had been having some health issues, but his death was unexpected.
"In spite of his health issues, he was very energetic and full of life, so this was completely unexpected," Sosa said.
Sosa said he and Solomon had been friends since Sosa first came to the University in 1997. Solomon taught at UT for more than 30 years, since 1972, he said.
According to the philosophy department Web site, Solomon wrote more than 40 books and 150 articles on a wide variety of philosophical topics, including existentialism, emotions and business ethics.
He earned his bachelor's degree from the University of Pennsylvania and master's and doctoral degrees from the University of Michigan, according to the Web site.
Solomon appeared in Richard Linklater's film "Waking Life," where he is seen telling a classroom of students about the importance of existentialism in the 21st century.
"I am afraid that we are losing the real virtues of living life passionately, the sense of taking responsibility for who you are, the ability to make something for yourself and feeling good about life," he said in the movie.
Many of his friends and family say that Solomon himself embodied those virtues.
"Having his condition, he was more aware than most people about how fragile and finite life is," Higgins said. "He would like to tell students that if there were some things they wanted to do, to not hesitate to do them."
David Sherman, an associate professor of philosophy at the University of Montana and a former student and friend of Solomon, said he was very supportive of his students.
"He wanted students to shine and helped to facilitate their own career and shine as brightly as they could," Sherman said. "That is all too rare in academia."
Sherman said Solomon's philosophical work strived for clarity and relevance.
"What was really sort of wonderful about his work is that he could render extremely complicated subjects intelligible, without at all watering the concepts down," Sherman said.
Solomon was expected to teach an existentialism class in the upcoming semester.
Sosa said that the department would find a replacement lecturer.
"He was a very important member of the department in every facet, in areas of research and teaching and advising and administration," Sosa said. "But more than that, I think he was one of the University's treasures and was an important figure beyond the department."
Solomon's memorial service will be private, but donations can be made to the Oxfam International charity, Higgins said.
The philosophy department is planning a memorial service to be held Saturday from noon to 4 p.m. at the Campus Club in Walter Webb Hall, located at Guadalupe and 25th streets. The formal service will begin at 1 p.m. The department also asks that in lieu of flowers, contributions in memory of Solomon be made to Oxfam International.
