In Memoriam: Harold Anthony Roe
Harold Anthony Roe was born in Boston (MA) where he attended the Boston Latin School. After earning a full scholarship to Harvard University and completing there his PhD in Linguistics, focusing on the Faroese language, he joined the University of Toronto, namely the Centre for Medieval Studies and the Department of German. There he focused his teaching and research on medieval and earlier languages, particularly Irish and Norse.
With dear friend, Ann Dooley, he completed the first full translation of Acallam na Senórach, which is to say the largest literary text surviving from twelfth-century Ireland, and the most comprehensive early collection of Fenian stories and poetry. The translation was published as Tales of the Elders of Ireland by Oxford University Press.
The family generously invites friends and colleagues to pay their last homage to Harry by submitting, in lieu of flowers, a donation to Harry's favourite charity, namely The Dictionary of Old English, https://doe.artsci.utoronto.ca. We thank them kindly for confirming Harry's life-long commitment to study and research.
The family will arrange a small service at a later date, and a celebration of life for both Harry and his wife and Muse Medora, who died last year, in the spring.
Here is the link to his obituary in the Toronto Star: https://www.legacy.com/ca/obituaries/thestar/name/harold-roe-obituary?pid=203320233.