Our Colleague, teacher, and friend, Timothy B. Noone, Father Kurt Pritzl Professor of Philosophy Emeritus, passed away on the evening of 11 May in North Carolina.
Tim Noone was born in Baltimore, but grew up in western Pennsylvania. He received a B.A. from Lock Haven State University in 1979 and then completed an M.A. from the University of Toronto in Medieval Studies and a Licentiate in Medieval Studies from the Pontifical Institute of Medieval Studies in Toronto. In 1988 he received his Ph.D. in Medieval Studies from the University of Toronto, producing an edition of Richard Rufus of Cornwall's commentary on book 12 of Aristotle's Metaphysics under the direction of James Reilly.
Tim taught at St. John's University and St. Bonaventure University before joining the faculty of the School of Philosophy at Catholic University in 1994 as an assistant professor. He was promoted to associate professor in 1996 and ordinary professor in 2004. In 2017, he became the Fr. Kurt Pritzl Professor of Philosophy and held that chair until his retirement in 2023. He was twice a visiting professor at the École Pratique des Hautes Études at the University of Paris. He served as president of the Society for Medieval and Renaissance Philosophy (2010-12) and the American Catholic Philosophical Association (2007).
Tim was a world-renowned scholar of medieval philosophy, specializing in the Franciscan tradition and especially the thought of Blessed Duns Scotus. From 1998 he led an international team of scholars engaged in the editing and production of a critical edition of Scotus's philosophical works, a project that has thus far yielded four massive volumes: Quaestiones in libros Metaphysicorum Aristotelis (1997), Quaestiones in librum Isagoge Porphyrii and Quaestiones super Praedicamenta Aristotelis (1999), Quaestiones super libros Perihermenias Aristotelis and Quaestiones super librum Elenchorum Aristotelis (2004), and Quaestiones super secundum et tertium De anima (2006). In addition to these huge projects, Tim authored over 50 articles and book chapters and gave 50 invited lectures all over the world.
Tim Noone was a treasured colleague and a loyal servant of the School of Philosophy and of Catholic University, having served as assistant dean of the School, an elected member of the Academic Senate, director of the Medieval and Byzantine Studies Program, and as a member of innumerable School and University committees. In 2007, he received the Provost's Excellence in Research and Scholarship Award.
Tim pursued academic life with an infectious enthusiasm and joy that was an inspiration to his colleagues and students. He manifested that same spirit as a well-known local musician, performing for many years with the band, Wicked Olde. He sang, played the harmonica, guitar, and banjo with the same brio with which he told jokes in Latin. Tim's learning, wisdom, and friendship will be missed by all who had the privilege of knowing him.
Funeral arrangements are pending, but messages of condolence may be sent to Mrs. Colleen Noone, 3822 Putters Lane, Maiden, N.C. 28650.