Joseph A. Kestner, age 71, died August 24, 2015 at his home in Tulsa. He was an internationally recognized scholar of Victorian literature, art, adventure and detective fiction who underscored the ties among the novel, film, painting, and opera. As McFarlin Professor of English and Professor of Film Studies, he taught for thirty-seven years at The University of Tulsa where he inspired colleagues and students with his learning, wit, and joie de vivre. His remarkable gifts for lecturing and mentoring earned him numerous teaching awards, including Oklahoma Professor of the Year, given by the Council for Advancement and Support of Education, and TU's prestigious Outstanding Teacher Award. His unbounded vitality and generosity made him a beloved teacher, colleague, friend, and community leader.

An untiring scholar, Kestner published eight books and more than a hundred articles and lectured frequently in the United States and abroad. With the rare ability to turn old and new enthusiasms into lasting scholarly contributions, he wrote and spoke prolifically on topics as diverse as Jane Austen, Pre-Raphaelite painting, narrative theory, Italian and German opera, James Joyce, Sherlock Holmes, and the British female detective. He had the unique capacity to teach and delight readers of all kinds, whether writing an essay in the academic Papers on Language and Literature or reviewing performances in the popular Opera New. He was invited to lecture at many prestigious international venues, including the City Art Gallery in Leeds, England, and the Tate Gallery in London. At the height of his career as a literary scholar, he decided to branch out and pursue his passion for film and film genres, and he was instrumental in establishing the Film Studies major and department at The University of Tulsa.

Born in Horton, Kansas, and raised in Albany, New York, Kestner earned his B.A. from the University of New York, Albany, and his M.A. and Ph.D. from Columbia University, where he studied English and Classics. After appointments at Princeton University and City University of New York, he came to The University of Tulsa in 1978 and immediately established himself as a dynamic scholar, teacher, and dissertation advisor. His teaching style combined profound learning, irresistible wit and entertainment, and a booming voice with which he captivated audiences numbering in the hundreds as well as small graduate seminars. It is said that one could easily audit any of his courses by simply walking past the closed door of his classroom.

Kestner was as beloved in the Tulsa community as he was at TU. For many years, he served on the Tulsa Opera Board and acted in numerous capacities with that organization, including as Vice-President for Production. He played significant roles in Tulsa's Cinema Arts Foundation, Tulsa Public Library, the Oklahoma Arts Institute, the Puccini Society, and other organizations. His immensely popular lectures drew crowds at the Summit Club, Books Sandwiched In, TU's McFarlin Library, Harwelden Mansion, the Tulsa Opera Guild, and many other venues. A noted scholar of the Sherlock Holmes novels and stories, Kestner was a favorite speaker at events of the Afghanistan Perceivers of Oklahoma, an organization of Holmes enthusiasts. He was scheduled to speak before the Baker Street Irregulars, a prestigious international Holmes society, in New York in January 2016.

Kestner is survived by his wife, Anna Norberg of Tulsa; his brothers, Anthony Kestner of Phoenix, Arizona, Mark and Quentin Kestner of Troy, New York and many beloved nieces and nephews.

Visitation will be 4:00 P.M. til 6:00 P.M., Sunday, August 30, 2015 at Moore's Southlawn, 9350 E. 51st, Tulsa, OK.

A memorial service will be held at 10:00 A.M., Tuesday, September 1, 2015 at Sharp Chapel at The University of Tulsa.

In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made in Dr. Kestner's honor to support a scholarship for deserving TU Film Studies students. Gifts may be mailed to The University of Tulsa, 800 South Tucker Drive, Tulsa, OK 74104. Please include "Professor Kestner" in the check's subject line.

Moore's Southlawn 918-663-2233
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