ISU Mourns the Loss of Emeritus English Professor Thomas J. Pfister

Thomas James Pfister left us unexpectedly on June 30, 2024 from a sudden cardiac event. He was sixty-eight, and the last member of his branch of the family tree. He leaves many devoted friends who will long remember his goodness, generosity, and many talents.

Born to Frank and Harriet Pfister in Evanston, Illinois, Tom was the youngest of three siblings. His mother, a painter who had trained at the Art Institute of Chicago, nurtured his artistic talents, especially painting. He also became a wonderful pianist with a rich baritone voice. In later life, he studied ballet with Marius Zirra in Pocatello, and earned an MFA in printmaking from Idaho State University. His works adorn the walls of the English Department at ISU.

Tom earned a BA in English (1977) from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, worked in advertising for several years, and returned to the University of Illinois for a Master’s (1987). He completed a PhD in English at the University of Wisconsin–Madison (1996), specializing in eighteenth-century British Literature. He had a passion for languages, being fluent in French and a diligent student of many others, including Russian, Japanese, Old Norse, Latin, and Ancient Greek. He traveled in Europe, but not nearly enough. A lifelong Anglophile, Tom adored the grandes dames of British theater and film and read all of Dickens many times over.

Tom came to Idaho State University in 1996 as Lecturer in English and stayed until fall 2022, when Parkinson’s disease forced early retirement. Students enjoyed his wide-ranging intelligence and his humor, especially his impersonations of literary characters. He was a devoted lover of cats.

He preferred walking to driving, and he walked everywhere, sometimes towing a wagon with groceries or a large shrub for his magnificent English garden. He played bridge skillfully with a steady table of friends, appreciated fine cooking, and enjoyed giving dinners. He wrote many letters, by hand, to a wide array of friends in this country and abroad. He spent fifteen years as sole caregiver for his infirm mother and for his beloved sister, Nancy, incapacitated by MS.

Tom was highly principled and spiritual, rarely talking about himself. He valued character over achievements, and if he had ambition, it was to realize his creativity and appreciate the beauty of this world. His kindness and generosity enlarged the lives of those around him, and he will be deeply missed.

There will be a memorial service at Colonial Funeral Home on Monday, August 5, at 10am, followed by internment at Mountain View Cemetery.