Goodbye, Hector Torres and Stefania Gray

Carl Petersen [ Tue Mar 9 2010 1:41 PM ]

UNM English Professor Hector Torres and graduate student Stefania Gray were victims of a double homicide on Sunday. I first met Hector in the UNM Linguistics Department back in the early ‘80s. He was polite and soft spoken, but with a great sense of humor; he loved language and he loved cold beer. The world will truly be worse for losing him. The UNM community is invited to meet and share a moment of silence for Hector and Stefania at UNM Duckpond at 2:00 p.m. today.

Public Comments (5)

- Nick Brown
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Please share your stories about Hector and Stephania. [ Tue Mar 9 2010 7:54 PM ]

We'd like to run something in next week's Alibi.
- ssaba
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"Love is a pebble laughing in the sunlight" [ Wed Mar 10 2010 12:59 AM ]

I remember being so angry writing Professor Torres' final Criticism and Theory paper because I couldn't explain why metaphor was beautiful. I went to class basically in tears before turning in the paper because I wanted to understand it so badly and I felt like I was going to fail his class. During class he explained that the amazing thing about language was that there was an infinite amount of ways to describe love. He wrote "Love is a pebble laughing in the sunlight" from a Lacan text on the board. I just remember him being so happy and peaceful in his explanation about how meaning was everywhere and waiting to be discovered. When I went to his office to turn in my final paper and thank him for being so patient and helpful, he thanked me for being in his class and trying so hard because his students appreciation what was most important to him.
Professor Torres you were one of the nicest most caring professors I have ever had. Your instruction is the only reason why I love critical theory, and I'm so blessed to have learned from you. I still think about your class whenever I read poetry. Thank you.
- DarcyBennet
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Tribute page for Hector Torres [ Thu Mar 11 2010 1:47 PM ]

is here. There is also information on his funeral service, to be held tomorrow.
- spudbudd
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My Friend Hector [ Sat Mar 13 2010 11:45 AM ]

In the six years I worked with you you earned my respect, and in the 20+ years I've known you you've earned my love. We played cards together every week; we lost equally well and often. We talked for hours about minutia; we tripped through Juarez like characters from some modern day SATYRICON. We slept on each others couches, we shared our stories and our dreams; our hopes and our histories. Never took a class from you, but you taught me; never got to tell you some things, but I know you know 'em, anyway. Like Grisman and Garcia,we were, compa...challenging each other to try new things while we shared our love for the people, the land, and the art. Still don't know Noam Chomsky from Norm Crosby, still don't know my Derrida from my derriere...but I know the world is a lesser place for your not being in it, carnal. Say "Hola" to mi Angelita, Big Daddy, Louis, Jon, and the others...I'll be showin' you guys my mad new poker skills soon enough.
- xtiemarrs
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Aye, aye, aye, Doc-Torres! [ Sat Mar 13 2010 5:54 PM ]

Hector and I shared a very special friendship when I was a lowly English Dept. undergrad. Back when I was writing poetry for Pat Smith and David Johnson, learning about the sixties from David Jones and trying hard to pass Chaucer with Professor Gallagher, Hector was my friend and compadre. He wasn't my teacher until later, when I took a linguistics course to fulfill some post-B.A. credits in order to become a teacher. (Damn, that class was hard, and his lectures were dense and sometimes incomprehensible to me. ) But Hector ("Doc-Torres," as we called him) as a friend was the best! My memories range from having a fabulous birthday dinner with him at Il Vicino to driving around blasting U2 to him presenting me with an inscribed book of mythology after I'd told him that mythology was boring and those gods are too hard to remember, anyway. Hector would have none of that! He always inspired me to think harder and to imagine more deeply. He was a damn good friend and he was very passionate. He'd make us speak Spanish and then he'd be so delighted in the fact that we could discuss stuff in his first language. We had some good times dancing, drinking, listening to R.E.M., talking for hours about the absurdities of our lives. He was not of my generation, but he explained mine so well to me. It hurts so deeply to think of him gone and what occurred. But... Aye, aye, aye, Doc-Torres, we miss you and will hold you in our hearts for the duration!
Christie Marrs
First Grade Teacher
UNM English Dept. Alumnus
Last edited [3/13/10 5:55 PM]