LINGUIST List 11.1779

Fri Aug 18 2000

All: Obituary: Fred Lukoff, 1920-2000

Editor for this issue: Karen Milligan <karenlinguistlist.org>

Directory

1. Benjamin Lukoff, Fred Lukoff, 1920-2000

It is with great sadness that I report to you the death of Fred Lukoff, my
father and friend, on Sunday, August 13 in Seattle. He had been diagnosed
with cancer at the beginning of June.

His linguistic education took place at the University of Pennsylvania,
where he received his doctoral degree in 1954. After spending a year at
MIT working with Victor Yngve, Noam Chomsky and Morris Halle, he went to
Korea, where he spent the next seven years teaching at Yonsei University
in Seoul. He would retire from the University of Washington in 1989.

With her permission, I am attaching a copy of the notice sent to the ICKL,
AATK and korean-studies discussion lists by Professor Young-Key Kim-Renaud
of The George Washington University, a former President of the
International Circle of Korean Linguistics.

Benjamin D. Lukoff
blukoffalvord.com
3321 E. Mercer St.
Seattle, WA 98112-4339
- -

Dear Colleagues,

I have the sad mission to inform you of the passing of Professor Fred
Lukoff, a great linguist and scholar of Korean studies. Dr. Lukoff passed
away after a brief illness from lung cancer last Sunday, the 13th of
August, 2000. Professor Lukoff followed his wife, Young-Soon Lukoff,
M.D., whose own sudden death two months ago was a shock to their family
and friends. He is survived by a daughter, Margaret Donghyang Lukoff
(mpL4columbia.edu), and a son, Benjamin Donguk Lukoff
(BLukoffalvord.com).

Professor Lukoff was internationally known even before he got into Korean
linguistics more than four decades ago. He co-authored with such eminent
scholars as Noam Chomsky, Morris Halle, and Zellig Harris. I have been
impressed with his deep understanding of Korean language and culture,
which was not unlike that of a native speaker's. He served as the first
President of the International Association for Korean Language Education.
On a personal level, he was a quiet but caring mentor and friend to me, a
role model, as he was to many others. He sent me little notes of praise
and encouragement, when I least expected them. He will be thoroughly
missed.

Young-Key Kim-Renaud
The George Washington University
kimrenaugwu.edu