About

(1941–2012)

Kellogg Institute Tribute
In Memoriam: Sabine MacCormack

 

Scott Mainwaring - University of Notre Dame
June 18, 2012

Sabine was one of Notre Dame's most distinguished faculty members. Beyond that, she was a person of great generosity and warmth. She was tireless and fearless in working for our collective good. She touched many lives in many places. I will remember her with the greatest admiration and affection.

Judy Bartlett - Kellogg Institute, University of Notre Dame
June 18, 2012

Sabine was one of my dearest friends, and I shall miss her greatly.

Lance Askildson - University of Notre Dame
June 19, 2012

Sabine had an incredibly kind and gentle spirit. Her passing is a great loss, and I will greatly miss speaking with and listening to her.

Susan Blum - University of Notre Dame
June 20, 2012

Sabine was an extraordinary scholar, of course, but she was also an infinitely generous colleague and, I have heard, teacher. She always took whatever time was needed to listen and think of an appropriate response, and whatever she said was worth listening to. Her creative and passionate manner were inspiring, and her absolute integrity gave us all a standard to live up to. She leaves countless positive effects here at Notre Dame.

John Cirilli - University of Notre Dame (graduate)
June 22, 2012

I have known, admired, and enjoyed Sabine, first as the luminous scholar and hero of imagination behind some remarkable books and articles and then as the teacher and thinking being who showed me how it's really done. Everyone who knew her understands how and why I miss her. A great light has gone out.

Judith M. Maxwell Ixq'anil - Tulane University
June 22, 2012

A woman of extraordinary energy, the gift of sharing and creativity. She is missed and will be even more so as those she has touched explore the vacuum of her passing

Honora Chapman - California State University, Fresno
June 22, 2012

Non est uestrum scire tempora, quae Pater posuit in sua potestate. Post hanc tamquam in die septimo requiescet Deus, cum eundem diem septimum, quod nos erimus, in se ipso Deo faciet requiescere. De istis porro aetatibus singulis nunc diligenter longum est disputare; haec tamen septima erit sabbatum nostrum, cuius finis non erit uespera, sed dominicus dies uelut octauus aeternus, qui Christi resurrectione sacratus est, aeternam non solum spiritus, uerum etiam corporis requiem praefigurans. Ibi uacabimus et uidebimus, uidebimus et amabimus, amabimus et laudabimus. Ecce quod erit in fine sine fine. Nam quis alius noster est finis nisi peruenire ad regnum, cuius nullus est finis? Videor mihi debitum ingentis huius operis adiuuante Domino reddidisse. Quibus parum uel quibus nimium est, mihi ignoscant; quibus autem satis est, non mihi, sed Deo mecum gratias congratulantes agant. Amen. Amen.

M. Ed. José Eduardo Montalvo Pool - Universidad Intercultural Maya de Quintana Roo
June 22, 2012

Me uno a la pena que embarga a la familia de Sabine. Mi más sentido pésame.

Bacilio Pomaina
June 22, 2012

Mi mas sentido pesame para Sabine MacCormack, desde Ecuador.

Piero Boitani - Sapienza Università di Roma
June 24, 2012

Exactly a year ago, on June 24, 2011, Sabine inscribed the Guestbook in my house on the Sabine Hills, with the following poem by Joseph von Eichendorff:

Die Wünschelrute
Schläft ein Lied in allen Dingen,
Die da träumen fort und fort.
Und die Welt hebt an zu singen,
Triffst du nur das Zauberwort.
—Joseph von Eichendorff, Sängerleben

Magic Wand
Sleeps a song in things abounding
that keep dreaming to be heard:
Earth'es tunes will start resounding
if you find the magic word.

Guillermo Bustos - Universidad Andina Simón Bolívar, Sede Ecuador
June 27, 2012

Sabine contributed greatly to the intellectual colonial history of the Andes. I recall her classes (in Quito & Ann Arbor) brought me about a combination of amazement and a hunger for learning. Her energy, creativity and generosity represent a great source of inspiration for me. La recuerdo con mucha admiración y afecto.

Gerónimo Can - Academia Municipal de Lengua Maya “Itzamná” y Universidad de Oriente
July 2, 2012

Thank you very much for this post. As I share with you this sad event... I send my sincere condolences to the MacCormack family... My spirit and my heart are with you...

Muchas gracias por este aviso. Comparto igual con ustedes este triste acontecimiento... Envío mis más sinceros pésames a la familia MacCormack... Mi espíritu y mi corazón está con ustedes...

Elizabeth Quintrileo - Universidad de Concepción, Chile 
July 2, 2012

I am truly sorry about this :(
I really hope to follow her example

Jesús Salinas and Serena d'Agostino - Centro Editorial de Literatura Indígena, A. C. 
July 2, 2012

This is so sad... Even though, for Mr. Salinas and me, it was the first time at Notre Dame, we had a feeling that Sabine was at the core of the specific interest for native culture and the smooth functioning of everything you had organized (for STLILLA 2011).

Our sincere feeling of sympathy and regret to family, colleagues and friends.

Ajb'ee Jiménez - Ajtz'iib' Maya-Mam, Universidad Rafael Landívar, Guatemala
July 2, 2012

Mi más sentido pésame porque Sabine pasó a ser parte de la otra vida.
¡Me acuerdo muy bien de ella! Que las energías de los ancestros la tengan con ella en la otra vida.

Julieta Zurita - Universidad Mayor de San Simon, Bolivia
July 2, 2012

Mensaje para toda la familia STLILLA,
Es una gran perdida para todos, mucho mas para nosotros, de raíces andinas y hablantes de lenguas indígenas, que habíamos encontrado un eco en Sabine a nuestras demandas y derechos, cuando la conocí, hace poco tiempo atrás en STLILLA 2011, su figura alta, me hacia semejanza a un árbol firme, cuyas ramas delgadas eran sus brazos para abrazar a mas gente, su voz temblorosa de emoción, me hizo recordar a las madres sabias de mi pueblo. Siempre la recordaré. Que en Paz descanse.

Lelia Albarracín y Jorge Alderetes - Asociación Investigadores en Lengua Quechua
July 2, 2012

Lamentamos tan sensible pérdida. Nuestros más sentidos pésames y nuestras
condolencias a la familia de Sabine.  
Desde Argentina.

Angel Ucan Dzul - Universidad de Quintana Roo, Mexico
July 2, 2012

Dear STLILLA,
I send you my deepest sympathy.

Eduardo Montalvo Pool - Universidad de Quintana Roo, México 
July 2, 2012

Me uno a la pena que embarga a la familia de Sabine. Mi más sentido pésame.
Un abrazo desde México.

Ixnal Ambrocia Cuma Chávez - Comunidad Maya Kaqchikel de Guatemala
July 2, 2012

A la familia,
Quiero manifestar mis mas sentido pésame a la familia de Sabina, quiero decirles que ella no ha muerto, solamente ha descansado como una semilla que mañana germinará.   espero que el creador les de fortaleza y ella vive siempre con las nobles obras y trabajo para el pueblo indígena. 
Me uno a ustedes, sé que es una mujer de nobles sentimientos hacia el ser humano.  Que el creador del cielo, de la tierra la coloque en el lugar que ella se merece.   Mil gracias Sabina.

Saul Santos-García - Universidad Autónoma de Nayarit, México
July 2, 2012

This is really sad news. I only met her briefly and yet, was able to see what an extraordinary person she was. I join in the grief for the lost of such a remarkable soul.

Israel Martínez Corripio - Escuela Nacional de Antropología e Historia, México
July 2, 2012

Hola, es una noticia muy triste y lamentable la muerte de Sabine.
Mis más sentidas condolencias a los familiares, compañeros, alumnos y amigos de Sabine, una persona con un gran amor por las culturas y lenguas indígenas.
Saludos y un gran abrazo desde México.

Andrea Torres Armas - Ecuador
July 2, 2012

Dear colleagues,
I'm very sorry to hear such bad news, it is a terrible loss—not only for academic world— especially for her family and friends. My condolences to all whom had the privilege to know her. 
May she rest in peace.

Vidal Carbajal Solís - Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos
July 2, 2012

Colegas mi mas sentido pesame para la familia de Sabine desde Peru.

Tulio Cañumil
July 2, 2012

Nuestro sentido pésame a la familia de Sabine, de parte de nuestra agrupación, el Equipo de Educación Mapuche Wixaleyiñ.

Teodoro Hampe Martínez - Lima, Perú
July 12, 2012


Me uno a los sentimientos de dolor y aprecio que han expresado los colegas por la partida de Sabine MacCormack. La recuerdo bien desde nuestros primeros encuentros, en archivos y bibliotecas de Lima, allá por los años 80. Luego mantuvimos una relación amistosa y fluida, que incluyó el intercambio de publicaciones y noticias. Sabine, que nunca perdió su impronta germana de base, fue una académica erudita y distinguida. Será un modelo difícil de emular.

Javier Barrios - Ann Arbor, MI
July 18, 2012

No me nace palabra para expresar lo triste que me ha dejado esta noticia -Sabine además de mentora académica, era una queridísima amiga y su recuerdo lo tengo presentísimo en la mente. My deepest condolences to her daughter Catherine and to all her friends and colleagues at Notre Dame and elsewhere.

Hipólito Peralta Ccama - Profesor (Yachachiq) Cusco, Peru
July 26, 2012

Anchatan llakikuni ripusqanwan,ichaqa allin runakunaqa sunqunchikpin kawsan
Me apena demasido la partida de Sabina,, pero las buenas personas como ella viven en nuestro corazon..
I'm so sorry to hear the bad news, but good people like her live in our hearts

Livia Tenzer, New York Ctiy
April 5, 2013

Memories of Prof. MacCormack's passionate personality and intellectual brilliance have stayed with me over many years, since my student days at Stanford, where she generously provided encouragement and camaraderie to Classics graduate students. I am deeply saddened to learn that the scholarly world has lost this wonderful teacher and inspiring woman.

Rev. Theodore M. Hesburgh, CSC, Professor of Arts and Letters;
Professor of History and Classics (DPhil, Oxford University, 1975)

Member of the American Philosophical Society; Fellow of the Medieval Academy of America, and Member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. Recipient of the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation's Award for Distinguished Achievement in the Humanities (2001).

 

Thematic Interests

Roman empire and late antiquity. The Andean region in the 16th and 17th centuries. Interaction between Andean and European cultures and religions.

Current Research

Conflict and accommodation between Andean and Spanish political and religious ideas and practices in the early modern period; Christianity and classical culture in the writings of St. Augustine of Hippo.  Instrumental in establishing the Latin American Indigenous Language Learning (LAILL) program at Notre Dame.