Surtz joined Princeton’s faculty in 1973 and transferred to emeritus status in 2016. His teaching and research centered on religious texts with a focus on religious writings by women in the pre-modern period.
“Professor Surtz was a wonderful colleague and an eminent Princeton medievalist. He combined a deep knowledge of early modern peninsular literature with a sparkling curiosity,” said Pedro Meira Monteiro, the chair of the Department of Spanish and Portuguese and the Arthur W. Marks ’19 Professor of Spanish and Portuguese.
Monteiro added: “At the personal level, Ron was a joy to work with. His sense of humor was nothing short of legendary. But such humor didn’t prevent him from being the most serious critical reader. We will miss him dearly.”
Read the full announcement of Ronald Surtz's passing on the Princeton University website.