In Memory

Monroe Coburn

From Stephen Richards:

Monroe regularly attended our UMUC lunch meetings in Frankfurt up until last year. (These meetings are held monthly in Frankfurt, Mainz, or Wiesbaden - the latter two venues he would skip.)

I don't know the full details of his UMUC career, but he was teaching in the mid-eighties, perhaps before. He taught English and Writing - as well as Theatre, himself being the author of a number of plays. Possibly Psychology.

His teaching with UMUC was discontinuous, and for many years he worked in palliative care in German hospitals, for which he earned a qualification. He also worked with suicide survivors. How he got into the psychology field is kind of amusing: in the Vietnam area he was interviewed by an officer as to his qualifications prior to being assigned a job in the Military.

Monroe said he had a degree in philosophy, and apparently the officer took this to mean “psychology,” or did not know the difference, and had Monroe posted to work in the mental ward of a military hospital. Later he did indeed earn qualifications in this field.

Monroe certainly had a long and varied life - visiting him in Frankfurt he would spin yarns of boating off Long Island. For a spell he was a car salesman. I’m sure I learned about only a small portion of his life, and perhaps others can fill in some other details.

His son Mark, mentioned in the announcement, as far as I know his only child, is the director of a clinic in Bonn.  

All the best, Stephen



 
go to bottom 
  Post Comment

03/16/26 12:30 PM #1    

Marla Lowenthal

.I met Monroe when I first started teaching for Maryland.  He introduced me to CD players and had parties where we danced to Little Feat. I remember his wit, intelligence and smile.  A bear of a man who could cut a rug and get on down.  I lost track of him years ago but have fond memories of him  

 


03/21/26 12:05 PM #2    

Ronald Schlundt

As Stephen Richards says above,  Monroe was a regular at our Frankfurt/Wiesbaden/Mainz rotating faculty/retiree Stammtisch for many years.  He will be greatly missed. 

Ron Schlundt in Mainz, Germany


03/22/26 04:07 PM #3    

Benjamin Terry Williams

I am sorry to hear of Monroe's passing. He was a congenial person. I'm glad to see though Stephen and the Frankfurt UMUC folks continue to meet periodically. All the best!


go to top 
  Post Comment