James L. P. Butrica, R. I. P.

I learned today of the passing of James Butrica, a professor of classics at Memorial University of Newfoundland. Educated at Amherst and the University of Toronto, he specialized in Latin and Greek elegiac poetry, and Latin paleography and textual criticism. I did not know him personally, but he was a frequent contributor to an online classics discussion forum, where his was one of only a very few consistently intelligent voices. I did not agree with all of his views, but I was always impressed by his measured wit and seemingly infinite capacity for respectful dialogue. I have no idea whether he was a religious person, but I pray that God's grace will not be lost on a man who was himself so very graceful.