William C. Crossgrove

William C. Crossgrove, of Providence; Nov. 29. He joined the Brown faculty in 1962 and rose through the ranks to become professor of German Studies and Comparative Literature. He taught a wide variety of courses in German language, literature, civilization, and culture, including interdisciplinary topics such as world agriculture and the history of hunger. The latter led to his co-editing Hunger in History. He spent sabbaticals in Germany working on medieval manuscripts in university libraries. He retired from Brown in 2003 and soon after was appointed administrative director of the George A. and Eliza Gardner Howard Foundation, a position he held until 2016. With a strong commitment to social justice, he was a member of the Committee on Racial Equality and the American Civil Liberties Union and was actively involved in local environmental issues. He also was a docent at Roger Williams Park Zoo. He is survived by his wife, Lo; a daughter; a son; a daughter-in-law; a son-in-law; three grandchildren; and two sisters.