Friday 14 March 2025

Professor Vincent Gillespie (1954–2025)

The College is very sad to announce the death of Honorary Fellow and alumnus, Professor Vincent Gillespie.

Vincent Gillespie, portrait by photographer
Fran Monks for ‘Portrait of Keble III’

Vincent was born in Liverpool, and schooled at St Edward’s College. He was admitted as an Exhibitioner to read English at Keble in 1972, and, after graduating he stayed on as a Senior Scholar to do doctoral work, which he completed in 1981. Keble was a place of intellectual and cultural discovery, where he benefited from the teaching of Stephen Wall and especially Malcolm Parkes, who remained a role model and an inspiration.

He lectured at the University of Reading from 1977 to 1980, and was a tutorial fellow of St Anne’s College, Oxford, from 1980 to 2004. He moved to a Professorial Fellowship of Lady Margaret Hall in 2004 on his election as the third Tolkien Professor (in succession to Douglas Gray and Paul Strohm).

In 2013, he was elected a Fellow of the British Academy (FBA). He was an Honorary Fellow of St Anne’s College as well as Keble, and a Senior Research Fellow of Campion Hall. From 2024, he was an Honorary Professor in the School of English at the University of St Andrews.

After a long battle with cancer Vincent died at home surrounded by his family.

A great friend of the College and the University, he will be greatly missed by all who knew him.

The Funeral will be held on Friday 11 April at 2pm at St Joseph’s Catholic Church, Brook Lane, Thame, OX9 2AB. A reception will follow in Thame Barns Centre.

Please RSVP by emailing vincentgillespiefuneral@gmail.com