When University Professor John Fenn heard the news regarding the murder of Professor Anne Dhu McLucas, he knew instantly the University had lost an irreplaceable individual and intellectual.
“My wife got a faculty email and told me what had happened. My initial feelings were shock and disbelief,” Fenn said. “I could not believe the news.”
Professor McLucas, a former dean of the University’s School of Music and Dance, along with her partner James Gillette, 73, was a victim of double homicide in Gillette’s home Friday evening, Sept. 7. Lane County sheriff’s deputies arrested Johan Gillette, 36, the son of James Gillette, Saturday on two counts of murder.
While McLucas died after her arrival at a local hospital, the exact cause of death has not been identified by the coroner, according to the sheriff’s office.
McLucas specialized in ethnomusicology — the study of social and cultural aspects of music in a global context. She was 71.
“It’s pretty unimaginable that something like this could happen to someone I know. You hear about it in the news but never think it will happen to a person close to you,” Fenn said.
An associate professor who teaches classes in ethnomusicology, Fenn had previously worked closely with McLucas in planning  curriculum and crafting courses for students within the School of Music and Dance.
“She certainly taught me to be curious and excited about many things, and to explore those curiosities through rigorous research in the field, along with research in the library,” Fenn said.
McLucas’s passing leaves a void in the School of Music and Dance not easily filled, as her intellectual and emotional value proved priceless during her 20-year tenure at the University. She was set to retire in December.
“Anne Dhu McLucas’s impact on the University and the community at large was far and wide and her loss will be profoundly felt. She was smart, funny, and extraordinarily generous with her time, encouragement, and acts of kindness,” said associate professor of musicology Lori Kruckenberg.
At this time, the University is working with the School of Music and Dance to create a memorial event for McLucas.
“The University and the School of Music and Dance are still in shock and are still in their time of mourning. However, there are discussions about how to memorialize Anne and celebrate her life,” University communications director Julie Brown said.
Brown said the University will announce its finalized plans for a memorial soon.