Robert Joseph Rodini

Robert Joseph Rodini of Madison, WI, passed away on May 28, 2023, at the age of 86.

Bob (or Rob) moved to Madison in 1965 to join the Department of French and Italian at the University of Wisconsin where he taught until his retirement in 2000, and during that period, helped turn it into one of the country’s premier Romance language departments. A specialist in the literature of Renaissance Italy, Bob was a popular teacher, skillful administrator, respected editor, and beloved mentor. Born on August 2, 1936, in Albany, CA, Bob lived with his tight-knit Italian family, even while a graduate student at the University of California, Berkeley. He met his future wife, Eleanor Morgan, while a Fulbright Scholar in Florence. After retiring, he spent 20 years as a volunteer at Meriter Hospital, including as president of the Friends of Meriter. A life-long lover of classical music, Bob was a regular at the Madison Symphony and the Lyric Opera of Chicago. He was also a fantastic cook, a natural who rarely touched a cookbook, and was famous for the pan pizza he made for his graduate students.

In lieu of flowers, remembrances in support of the Madison Symphony are appreciated.