For over 36 years, professor Michael Marmura devoted his life to teaching at U of T’s Department of Near and Middle Eastern Civilization. He established himself not only as a recognized scholar of Islamic philosophy, but also as an engaging and devoted teacher who gained the admiration of his students. A fellow of the Royal Society of Canada, he taught at U of T from 1959 to 1995, staying on as professor emeritus until 2006. On Sept. 17, he passed away at his Maritime home in Antigonish, Nova Scotia. Marmura is survived by his wife Elizabeth, their three children, and four grandchildren.

“I found him to be a dedicated and highly productive scholar of truly international repute in his field,” said professor emeritus Richard Blackburn, a former student and a long-time friend. “He was an engaging, enthusiastic, and versatile teacher, and a thoroughly decent person. What more can be said short of resort to the anecdotal?”

Born in Jerusalem in 1929, Marmura was already fluent in Arabic and knowledgeable of the Arabic literary tradition when he went to the University of Wisconsin for his undergraduate degree. He continued onto graduate school at the University of Michigan, where he completed his PhD in 1959.

In late 1959, Marmura arrived at U of T and became a staple at the Department of Near and Middle Eastern studies. He was known for his insight, humility, and gentleness towards his students, but also for his dedication to his work, becoming a leading authority on the philosophy of Avicenna and al-Ghazali. His works include The Incoherence of the Philosophers (1997), an annotated translation of al-Ghazali’s Tahafut al-falasifa, as well a collection of his own writings called Probing in Islamic Philosophy (2005)

Marmura’s legacy is most notably passed down through the people he inspired and worked alongside. “The study of Islamic philosophy will be greatly impoverished by Michael’s passing but I am confident that the work he left behind will continue to inspire future scholars,” said professor Deborah L. Black, another former student, who will speak at Marmura’s memorial service. Black is now a professor of philosophy and medieval studies at U of T, and Marmura’s influence can be seen in her classes: she will be using some of Marmura’s translated works for her graduate course.

A memorial service will be held Thursday, October 22, at noon in the Trinity College Chapel, 6 Hoskin Ave. All are welcome.