Passing of emerita World Languages Professor Mónica Flori

It is with great sadness and a heavy heart that we announce the passing of emeritus World Languages and Literatures Spanish faculty Mónica Flori.

Born in Montevideo, Uruguay, Mónica grew up in a multilingual environment, alongside Spanish, she learned English, French, and Italian, as well as the German she spoke with her grandfather. She studied philosophy as an undergraduate, traveled in the US and Europe, met her husband Frank Flori, and settled in Honolulu where she began her study of Hispanic literature at the University of Hawaii. They moved back to Frank’s hometown of Portland, and Mónica began doctoral work at the University of Oregon. She earned her PhD in Romance Languages and Literatures, and started teaching at Lewis & Clark in 1977.

For the next 29 years, Mónica was a beloved teacher and colleague, leading two overseas programs, to Costa Rica and to Argentina, and strengthening programs covering the entire Spanish-speaking world. Her 1995 book, Streams of Silver: Six Women Writers from Argentina, emerged from her research sabbaticals in Buenos Aires, and explored the lives and works of several contemporary women writers in the second half of the twentieth century.

In addition to her husband Frank, Mónica is survived by her goddaughters: her namesake, Mónica Rodríguez, and Eliana and Romina Rijo in Montevideo, Uruguay.

With immense sadness and gratefulness, the Department pays their condolences to Professor Mónica’s family.