NEWS

 

After we moved back to Davidson in late 2014, we tried to prioritize attending all the amazing events in town, on campus and off.

In 2015 we attended the Conarroe Lecture with U.S. Poet Laurette Charles Wright. We saw and heard then-president Carol Quillen made the special announcement about the first public recognition of the Davidson alum who had endowed the lecture.

Thankfully, I videoed Carol’s remarks and the subsequent comments from Joel Conarroe. I had never shared either. Since learning of his passing, I have watched both – taking great comfort in being able to see him and listen to his words. I thought about the fact that it was his genuine invitation to meet him that had resulted in getting to know him beyond the alum whose name is associated with a lecture at our alma mater.

The following year a mutual friend was adamant that we meet Joel after the lecture. He was immaculately dressed, as usual. As the introductions were made, he smiled. His smile only grew as he listened to the details of my spouse and I being Davidson classmates who reconnected at our 25^th Reunion, were married, and had our Service of Blessing at Davidson College Presbyterian Church.

And then he reached into his blazer pocket and pulled the rainbow-colored pocket square a little further out of his pocket. It was out and visible for the photo that was taken of the three of us.

Fast-forward to 2019. During a trip downtown, we saw a rainbow-colored Davidson t-shirt on display in the window of the college bookstore. We bought several, one of them with Joel in mind.

That year, the lecture was held in September with Pulitzer Prize winning author Jennifer Egan was the guest lecturer. We found Joel at the reception and presented him with the t-shirt. What came next was another surprise. He put the t-shirt on, right then and there. Taking off his blazer, he put the t-shirt on over his shirt and tie and wore it for the rest of the evening.

In the intervening years, Facebook was the means of keeping in touch. Posts on our end about alma mater would often illicit a cheer from Joel.

His posts were always fascinating. Some of his posts featured the A-list celebrities he knew, sometimes it was a picture of an amazing library, and many times it was Betty his cat. And in at least one case, his post and re-post was a photo of Betty sitting on his bookshelves with the following caption: “Betty, a bibliophile, especially likes, as I do, Philip Roth’s books.”

Rest Easy Joel. Thank you for your friendship and your tireless devotion to alma mater.

See the videos mentioned in this article here. The album includes still images as well.