Obituary - Professor Peter F. J. Nazareth (27 April, 1940 – 23 May, 2026)
It is with deep sadness that we announce the passing of Peter Francis Joseph Nazareth at the age of 86. Peter was born in Kampala Uganda to the late P.C.S.C. Nazareth and Annie Nazareth, being the eldest of five, including siblings Ruth, John, David & Rex. He attended primary school in the Entebbe Goan School and then Kololo Secondary School, Kampala. He excelled at several subjects especially English and Mathematics, but English Literature was his first love. Peter did his undergraduate degree (B.A. Honours in English Literature) at Makerere University, Kampala in 1963 and a post-graduate degree in English at the University of Leeds in the UK in 1965. He cut short further studies to return home at the death of his father. Politics made it difficult to obtain a lecturer’s position at Makerere and so he took on a job at the Ministry of Finance as a Senior Finance Officer. He excelled there in many areas – even running the first national lottery in Uganda. Peter was recognized as both an African and Goan writer, and Uganda regarded him as one of its finest literary voices. Ironically, his work at the Ministry of Finance gave him the real-life insights that inspired his first novel, “In a Brown Mantle.” The novel appeared to foreshadow the expulsion of Asians, which took place around the time of its launch. Although Peter was exempted from the expulsion, he accepted a fellowship at Yale University, followed by a fellowship to the University of Iowa, a step that later led to tenure as a professor in English and African American Studies. Although he was an expert on the works of Joseph Conrad and D.H. Lawrence among others, but it was a course on the music of Elvis Presley that got him worldwide media attention. He was presented a key to the city of Memphis by its mayor and given a private tour of Graceland. More important to him were the numerous students whom he taught and mentored over the course of five decades. Peter married Mary Fernandes of Iringa Tanzania in 1964. In retirement Peter and Mary settled in Ashburn, Virginia. He is survived by Mary, daughters Kathleen (Dr. Randy Eccles) and Monique (Dr. Patrick Cronin), three grandsons Christopher, Aidan and Greyson, his siblings Ruth, John, David (Lydia). He was preceded in death by his parents, brother Rex, brother-in-law Cyril Fernandes, and sister-in-law Cynthia Nazareth. On Wednesday, 27 May 2026 at 03:27:43 UTC+5:30 Eugene Correia wrote: > Sad to hear about Peter. Had many discussions with him when he visited > Toronto.He was part of the International Goan Convention, held in Toronto, > in 1981. He often visited his family in Toronto. > Condolences to his family. > > Eugene Correia > > On Tue, May 26, 2026 at 11:36 AM Jeanne Hromnik <[email protected]> > wrote: > >> I suppose Sandra's post says it all -- Peter's vanity, his activism, his >> achievement. And, underlying all, his having been considered 'not good >> enough' by Leeds University. Something I understand profoundly. >> I was once asked (at York University in the UK, not long after Peter's >> time at Leeds) how I could perceive something like snow, having never seen >> or felt it. It was a question I resented deeply. In hindsight, I am aware >> of its disregard, however innocent, of the colonial environment. Of course >> I knew snow! I had brought up on Enid Blyton and Dickens and Jane Austen, >> Georgette Heyer even. I knew the English countryside intimately! >> Peter did his best to resist and overcome that Leeds evaluation that >> ignored where 'we' came from and that completely undervalued and could not >> support it. >> For that we thank him. May he rest in peace. >> JH >> >> On Tue, 26 May 2026, 08:01 Lina Krishnan, <[email protected]> wrote: >> >>> Good to hear about this author, Frederick; and about this anthology, >>> Pamela. >>> >>> On Mon, 25 May, 2026, 6:56 pm Pamela D'Mello, <[email protected]> >>> wrote: >>> >>>> Peter Nazareth's anthology on Goan writing in English, will remain one >>>> of the best. When I first read the spiral bound book decades back, it left >>>> a deep and lasting impression at the time. It was gratifying to be >>>> somewhat >>>> involved in the anthology's reprint. >>>> >>>> Pamela >>>> >>>> On Mon, May 25, 2026 at 5:17 PM Ben Antao <[email protected]> wrote: >>>> >>>>> Hi FN, >>>>> >>>>> I admired Peter Nazareth for taking a stand on racism. Prior to going >>>>> to Yales on a scholarship, he had interviewed at Leeds U where the >>>>> English >>>>> prof rudely dismissed him “as not good enough.” >>>>> >>>>> In the US he focused on African American literature to the exclusion >>>>> of white writers. He was proud of being both a critic and a creative >>>>> writer. His early work of literary criticism dealt with Ismael Reed and >>>>> the >>>>> novels of trickster syndrome, the trickster being one of the four >>>>> archetypes. >>>>> >>>>> At the international writing school, he encouraged and supported the >>>>> Third World writers. Despite racism the US remains the best country for a >>>>> writer to live in, work and prosper. >>>>> >>>>> Ben >>>>> >>>>> >>>>> >>>>> On May 25, 2026 at 6:25 AM -0400, 'Selma Carvalho' via The Goa Book >>>>> Club <[email protected]>, wrote: >>>>> >>>>> I remember Peter well during his active years on Goan fora. He was a >>>>> true icon of Ugandan-Goan literature. I think his books are largely >>>>> out-of-print, which is a shame because quite frankly he should be studied >>>>> as one would study an Orwell for political writing. >>>>> >>>>> Rest in peace, Peter. Those of us who knew you, albeit online, and >>>>> your work owe you a debt of gratitude. >>>>> >>>>> Selma Carvalho >>>>> Author of *Guts, Glory & Empire: The Epic Story of Goans in Zanzibar, >>>>> 1865-1910 >>>>> <https://www.amazon.in/Glory-Empire-Story-Zanzibar-1865-1910/dp/9363360792> >>>>> >>>>> published by Speaking Tiger. For anywhere in the world Dogears. >>>>> <https://thedogearsbookshop.com/shop/books/non-fiction/diaspora-studies/guts-glory-and-empire-the-epic-story-of-goans-in-zanzibar-1865-1910/?v=7885444af42e>* >>>>> >>>>> >>>>> >>>>> >>>>> On Monday, 25 May 2026 at 04:18:20 BST, Frederick Noronha < >>>>> [email protected]> wrote: >>>>> >>>>> >>>>> >>>>> <1.png> >>>>> >>>>> Prof. Peter Nazareth, whose work I admired from my college days four >>>>> decades back, passed away on May 22, 2026, his friend and the editor of a >>>>> festschrift dedicated to him, Steve G. Ellerhoff, informed. >>>>> >>>>> With his impressive anthology [Goan Literature: A Modern Reader. *Journal >>>>> of South Asian Literature.* Vol. 18, No. 1, Winter, Spring 1983, >>>>> Asian Studies Center, Michigan State University] he convinced quite a few >>>>> Eng Litt students of our generation that Goan writing (in English and in >>>>> translation) offered a wide, impressive if still under-recognised field >>>>> for >>>>> study. Those who read the anthology were amazed to see the breadth of the >>>>> work he had collated, in days when the Internet was a decade away, and >>>>> communication was still by air-mail and typewriter. He did this work with >>>>> the assistance of an Afro-American student, Joseph K. Henry. >>>>> >>>>> He was generous with his mentoring, always encouraging and supportive, >>>>> and took every opportunity to review a deserving Goa book in prominent >>>>> journals like *World Literature Today*. Even if it was modestly >>>>> self-published (in the Goa of the 1990s), but read well. >>>>> >>>>> Peter, who was close to 85, worked till 2021, and retired after even >>>>> managing for a year into the pandemic. He is still remembered as a >>>>> prominent Ugandan writer, and often mentioned in the context of Makerere >>>>> University (once called the "Harvard of Africa") and Uganda as a whole. >>>>> His >>>>> contribution to the International Writing Programme of the University of >>>>> Iowa, where he was Professor of English, has often been acknowledged. >>>>> >>>>> His statistician-brother John Nazareth (and me, to a lesser degree) >>>>> failed to convince Peter to visit Goa. This was a place where he had a >>>>> small if well-informed fan following, thanks to his writing, reviewing >>>>> and >>>>> editing work on this region. An earlier generation of the Nazareths had >>>>> migrated to Malaya, Uganda, and then, his family went on to the US, >>>>> departing from Idi Amin's Uganda. >>>>> >>>>> His roots were in the Bardez village of Moira. >>>>> >>>>> Ever grateful for his kindness in being so ready to share his >>>>> knowledge, his politeness when explaining any point, and his repeated >>>>> egging on those junior to him with generous encouragement. >>>>> >>>>> Peter will be warmly remembered. FN >>>>> >>>>> PS: The attached e-copy of the festschrift gives an insight into the >>>>> man Peter was, and how he was known to writers from across the globe. >>>>> >>>>> _/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/ >>>>> _/ Frederick Noronha फ्रेडरिक नोरोन्या * فريدريك نورونيا >>>>> _/ AUDIO https://archive.org/details/@fredericknoronha >>>>> _/ http://goa1556.in +91-9822122436 <+91%2098221%2022436> 784 >>>>> Saligao Goa >>>>> _/ Goanet :: 30 years of discussions. [email protected] >>>>> _/ http://lists.goanet.org/pipermail/goanet-goanet.org/ >>>>> _/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/ >>>>> >>>>> -- >>>>> *** Please be polite and on-topic in your posts. *** >>>>> --- >>>>> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google >>>>> Groups "The Goa Book Club" group. >>>>> To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send >>>>> an email to [email protected]. >>>>> To view this discussion, visit >>>>> https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/goa-book-club/CA%2Bmqab858LsmN-CiDtJOuG%3Ds4EBf0C8A0dHbKiy5aCu3jeQ82A%40mail.gmail.com >>>>> >>>>> <https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/goa-book-club/CA%2Bmqab858LsmN-CiDtJOuG%3Ds4EBf0C8A0dHbKiy5aCu3jeQ82A%40mail.gmail.com?utm_medium=email&utm_source=footer> >>>>> . >>>>> >>>>> -- >>>>> *** Please be polite and on-topic in your posts. *** >>>>> --- >>>>> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google >>>>> Groups "The Goa Book Club" group. >>>>> To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send >>>>> an email to [email protected]. >>>>> To view this discussion, visit >>>>> https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/goa-book-club/1322545154.7843415.1779680981181%40mail.yahoo.com >>>>> >>>>> <https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/goa-book-club/1322545154.7843415.1779680981181%40mail.yahoo.com?utm_medium=email&utm_source=footer> >>>>> . >>>>> >>>>> -- >>>>> *** Please be polite and on-topic in your posts. *** >>>>> --- >>>>> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google >>>>> Groups "The Goa Book Club" group. >>>>> To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send >>>>> an email to [email protected]. >>>>> To view this discussion, visit >>>>> https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/goa-book-club/0b2e36f8-366d-4c5f-a374-3f4aa688e074%40Spark >>>>> >>>>> <https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/goa-book-club/0b2e36f8-366d-4c5f-a374-3f4aa688e074%40Spark?utm_medium=email&utm_source=footer> >>>>> . >>>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> -- >>>> Pamela D'Mello >>>> https://goajournal.in/ >>>> >>>> -- >>>> *** Please be polite and on-topic in your posts. *** >>>> --- >>>> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google >>>> Groups "The Goa Book Club" group. >>>> To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send >>>> an email to [email protected]. >>>> To view this discussion, visit >>>> https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/goa-book-club/CA%2B7dsH-vsnD8D14BibXt_YGdGDd1F2GSwD6rbL5ddrg8vOeqVQ%40mail.gmail.com >>>> >>>> <https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/goa-book-club/CA%2B7dsH-vsnD8D14BibXt_YGdGDd1F2GSwD6rbL5ddrg8vOeqVQ%40mail.gmail.com?utm_medium=email&utm_source=footer> >>>> . >>>> >>> -- >>> *** Please be polite and on-topic in your posts. *** >>> --- >>> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google >>> Groups "The Goa Book Club" group. >>> To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send >>> an email to [email protected]. >>> To view this discussion, visit >>> https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/goa-book-club/CAP4k3%3Dg%3D790apf1bG9PX3%3DKfN71m7e%2BdrBWApv5101hYPZL8KQ%40mail.gmail.com >>> >>> <https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/goa-book-club/CAP4k3%3Dg%3D790apf1bG9PX3%3DKfN71m7e%2BdrBWApv5101hYPZL8KQ%40mail.gmail.com?utm_medium=email&utm_source=footer> >>> . >>> >> -- >> *** Please be polite and on-topic in your posts. *** >> --- >> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups >> "The Goa Book Club" group. >> To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an >> email to [email protected]. >> > To view this discussion, visit >> https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/goa-book-club/CA%2BcjhjjM5B%3DiGmhUbefMVt6WZvVYRpqFcp9-RoArV6CdNWdsVQ%40mail.gmail.com >> >> <https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/goa-book-club/CA%2BcjhjjM5B%3DiGmhUbefMVt6WZvVYRpqFcp9-RoArV6CdNWdsVQ%40mail.gmail.com?utm_medium=email&utm_source=footer> >> . >> > -- *** Please be polite and on-topic in your posts. *** --- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "The Goa Book Club" group. 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