Dear Family members of Late Professor Elizabeth Fernea
It is with deep regret that I read about Professor Fernea’s passing away.
I had the privilege of being in her class in 1987, when I was an undegraduate student at U.T. Austin. My memories still go back to the days in her class when a young student challenged her, and her reaction was a tender smile and listening to him with such grace and patience.
This helps me when I face my class today teaching at a University in Hong Kong and to know how much we can learn from such an eminent and gracious person.
In 1998, I was browsing through the shelves at Chinese University in Hong Kong and came across her book, “Guests of the Sheik” written about her life in Iraq Having taught in the Middle East – Oman, I could relate to what she experienced about the women in the Arab world. I was so excited and wanted to write to her. I wish I had.
Dear Professor Fernea, I wish I had written to her to tell her what a Dear person she was and how she has influenced me in my life. She has been in my thoughts in all these many years and just two days ago I searched for her name in the U.T. website to write to her. It was then I learned that she had passed away. I was very saddened when I read her obituary.
Before it is too late I want to let her family know what impact she has had on my life. I will long remember her. It has been 24 years since she touched my life. Dear Professor Fernea, she truly did care- a precious gem.
May she rest in eternal Peace.
