Remembering Dr. Gregory Machacek

The vigil held for Dr. Machacek on Wednesday, Feb. 25, at the Our Lady Seat of Wisdom chapel on campus. Photo by Eric Johnston '26

Dr. Gregory Machacek, a beloved Professor of English at Marist University, passed away unexpectedly on Tuesday, Feb. 24, at his home in Poughkeepsie. 

Born in Minnesota, Machacek had been teaching at Marist since 1992 and specialized in 17th-century British literature. He was perhaps most well-known around campus for throwing a birthday party in William Shakespeare’s honor every April at the Historic Cornell Boathouse. He also set aside a day every year for a reading of the entirety of John Milton’s Paradise Lost. 

The reflections and memories of Dr. Machacek’s colleagues and students paint a picture of a man whose wit was perhaps outmatched only by his desire to educate and lift the voices of others. 

“Greg’s sudden passing is a shock to us all, one that leaves a big gap in the Marist community,” said Marist President Kevin Weinman. “He was a tremendous and dedicated scholar who cared deeply for his students, but this only scratches the surface of his many contributions to Marist. He was warm, exuded tremendous artistry and wit through an unassuming and deeply intelligent sense of humor, and was a passionate advocate for the faculty (who honored him as one of the earliest recipients of the Bill Olson Award in recognition of his 'strong leadership, courage, forthrightness, and integrity'). April 23 will never be the same, as his creative performances honoring Shakespeare’s birthday were legendary. I miss him dearly already.”

“Having a moment to have a casual conversation with him was always memorable,” said Catherine Miller ‘26. “I had him as one of my first teachers at Marist for Classics in Western Lit., and he was always very knowledgeable about the subject and energetic. I had many takeaways from his class, but mostly his personality and openness to always share a few words with me whenever we passed each other.”

“He was a really good professor who genuinely cared about his students,” said Laura Rettus ‘26. “He really took the time to learn students' names. He also really, truly cared about the spread and sharing of knowledge by intelligent minds. His anti-tech rule, while often disliked when you first heard about it, showed its merit throughout having class with him. He always used to say, ‘When else do you get to have an hour talking about intellectual material with intellectual minds?” 

Rettus also noted that the Penny Saver bag that Machacek carried his “giant book” in was one that he won in a Penny Saver contest, which he entered frequently, and that he would “read in a chair at home with one Dove chocolate.”

“Dr. Machacek loved literary epics like The Odyssey and Paradise Lost,” said Dr. Moira Fitzgibbons. “He was always up for a big idea, an old story and a hard-fought battle. At the same time, he was so closely attuned to the individual students right in front of him. Nothing – not even poetry itself – made him happier than a bright student with a good question or a surprising insight. I learned so much from him. We are all really going to miss him.” 

“Dr. Machacek and I often talked about generative AI and how developing reading, writing and critical thinking skills are more important than ever,” said Dr. Cara Messina. “He centered the human mind in writing, reading and art, believing art is not just the form, but the ability to connect us.”

“I remember my first time meeting Dr. Machacek during my interview at Marist,” said Dr. Nick Lu. He sat through my teaching demo and paid serious attention the entire time. He was the first colleague who not only recognized my teaching ability but also gave me constructive feedback on my course content and delivery style, even when I was not officially his colleague.”

“Dr. Machacek was also a formidable Shakespeare scholar whom I admire and look up to,” Lu continued. “He will always be an inspiration to me to treat everyone and everything seriously: our students, colleagues, the English Department, School of Liberal Arts and all the work I do.”

“I will remember Dr. Machacek for his big personality, his Shakespearean raps, his Milton-reading marathons, his thoughtful reflections on literature and learning and his outspoken advocacy for the English department and Marist faculty,” said Dr. Patricia Tarantello.

“He was the first person who made me realize that ‘oh, Shakespeare is funny,’” said Nicole Formisano ‘22. “He was just an incredible guy. He once told us that a respectable, well-read adult should be able to recite a literary excerpt or two. And he was like, ‘The day will come. You might think it won’t… but 10, 20, 40 years from now, you will be at a dinner party, and everyone will be very sophisticated, and you will be expected to have a passage of literature memorized.’”

“There was another time at the boathouse… he recited a parody rap that he had written… to the beat of some kind of 90s rap, it might have been the Fresh Prince theme song… it was so clever. Whenever you thought it was about to end, it wouldn’t; he still had more bars,” added Formisano. “That kind of delight he had, when it came to literature, when it came to Shakespeare, but really when it came to any kind of witticism… it was infectious. You found delight in it even if you hadn’t before.”

“It was a really inspiring gift he had,” added Formisano.

“Dr. Machacek was in the 2014 Marist Theatre production of Our Town,” recalled Marissa Russo ‘15. “He fittingly played the local Professor, who comes in, rattles off a detailed, matter-of-fact monologue about the history of [the fictional town the play is set in], and leaves. If you didn't know any better, you would think the role was written for him. He didn't say much backstage but always seemed to absorb everything happening around him… I think it shows that he truly loved being around students.”

Dr. Machacek, center of back row, in the cast photo of Marist's 2014 production of Our Town. Photo by Andrew Brown '16

“During my fall semester senior year, my advisor was on sabbatical, and I was stressing out about being ready to graduate and having my classes lined up, so Dr. Machacek offered to be my advisor,” said Paige Graff ‘24. “We started talking about my future and what my plan was after graduation, and I remember being so stressed about the idea of graduating and not knowing at that point what I was going to do. I just remember him reassuring me and saying something along the lines of ‘whatever you do, you’ll be great at it.’ 

“On the day of graduation, he was the last professor I saw before leaving campus permanently. He gave me a hug and congratulated me. I wish I had stayed longer and talked to him,” added Graff.

“Dr. Machacek was a wonderful colleague,” said English Department Chair Dr. Joshua Kotzin. “He was distinguished in all areas of academic work. As a scholar, he published a highly regarded academic book on Homer and Milton and also scholarly articles in the most important journal of literary criticism, the Publications of the Modern Language Association (PMLA). As a colleague, he was generous, fair, and always interested in what would serve the greater institutional and communal good. As a teacher, he showed tremendous dedication and care for his students and for the literature that he loved so much.”

“I feel particularly grateful to have seen Dr. Machacek’s quieter side,” said Lorah Murphy ‘24. There were times that he could be loud and exciting like a ringmaster, but there were also quiet moments of thoughtfulness in the warmth of his office, surrounded by tapestries and piles upon piles of books and papers, because he only ever graded printed copies. I will always treasure those moments of silent presence as he reviewed my work before beginning to give me gentle, careful feedback.” 

“I first met Dr. Machacek the semester before I had him in Classics of Western Literature I,” said Alice Adams ‘27. “We sat near each other at a dinner with English Department alumni, and I gravitated toward him so much that I organized my entire schedule the following semester around making sure I would have him in class.”

Adams said, “He spent the whole first day of class memorizing our names through rhymes and associations so he could always look us in the eye and address us correctly whenever we wanted to contribute. The array of assigned texts was certainly nerve-racking, but with him, it was exciting to tackle them together. Unfortunately, our time together was cut short, but this did not lessen his impact in the slightest.”

“The last book we discussed as a class was The Odyssey,” Adams added. “It’s a story of one man’s legacy and the ripple effect a person can have through generations—there is no more profound comparison we can make to Professor Machacek as an educator and friend.”

Calling hours were held from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m on Thursday, Mar. 5, at William G. Miller & Son Funeral Home in Poughkeepsie. A Mass of Christian Burial was held at 10 a.m. on Mar. 6, at St. Martin de Porres Church, also in Poughkeepsie. A “Celebration of Life Reception” was held on campus in the Cabaret Lounge at 11:30 a.m. 

Machacek was 60 years old. He is survived by his parents, Sharon and Eugene, his wife, Maya, his sister, Andrea and his brother, Steve.