Jan Franzke Rigaud

Jan Franzke Rigaud was a global traveler, a lover of languages, a dynamic educator, and a stalwart friend. His penetrating intellect and fiercely independent spirit were balanced by great sensitivity, a deep appreciation for arts and culture, and the warmth of friendships cultivated and maintained across oceans and decades. Born in Paris during World War II, Jan was proud of both his French ancestry (on his father’s side) and his Dutch heritage (on his mother’s), preferring the Dutch version of his given name, Jean. (Later, he would change his middle name as well, in honor of his longtime friend, German author and art critic Andreas Franzke.) In his youth, due to his father’s foreign service assignments, he was widely traveled, residing with his family in North Africa and South America as well as in Europe, before setting out on his own. Inspired by the charismatic Mormon missionaries he encountered as a young man, he emigrated to the United States to study Philology and Philosophy at Brigham Young University, where he received both bachelor’s and master’s degrees. He went on to earn his doctorate in Philosophy from the University of Michigan. Upon moving to Philadelphia, Jan served as an adjunct faculty member at both St. Joseph’s University and Villanova University before joining Villanova as a tenure-track professor. There, he gained a reputation for being a challenging and compassionate teacher, inspiring countless students with his intellectual rigor and energetic presence in the classroom. Eventually, he would come to lead Villanova’s French and Francophone Studies Program. Those who had the privilege of joining one of his summer programs in France—many traveling abroad for the first time—were profoundly impacted by the experience, some becoming lifelong friends. Over the years, Jan developed a great affinity for the moral vision of the Nobel laureate Albert Camus, author of the celebrated novels The Stranger and The Plague and the plays Caligula and The Misunderstanding. He was also inspired by the deep friendship shared by Camus and his early mentor, Jean Grenier, movingly demonstrated by their collected letters, which were published in 1981. Jan took upon himself the painstaking task of translating this correspondence, courting editors, publishers, and heirs for many years before his own English-language version appeared in print in 2003. In later years, Jan’s intellectual interest would turn to writers in the English language that he had adopted for himself so well. He developed a keen readership of early 20th-century English writers and their history, especially for matters related to the famed Bloomsbury Group and the survivors of the Western Front of the Great War. Ever maintaining an ample personal library, Jan felt he was in good company at home in Ardmore, PA, with his books and the insight pouring out of them, underscored by a vast and carefully curated collection of classical CDs and LPs. Having retired from teaching in 2011, Jan began spending more time abroad, particularly in Morocco. He established a second home in the city of Essaouira, where, following a stroke, he died on March 28. He is survived by his devoted partner Majid; his loving siblings Nicole, Jacques, and Guy; and their children Elizabeth, Olivier, Noyale, Hervé, Timothé, Julien, Bérengère, Charlotte, and Guyonne. Moreover, he leaves behind countless students who were edified by his teaching, touched by his kindness, and inspired by his example over the course of decades. In lieu of flowers, contributions in his memory may be made to one or more of the following Philadelphia arts organizations, which he loved and recognized in his will: The Philadelphia Orchestra, The Opera Company of Philadelphia, The Philadelphia Museum of Art, and Arden Theatre Company

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Jan Franzke Rigaud

July 1, 1941 - March 28, 2025