Richard Nunan Obituary

Richard Joseph Nunan MT. PLEASANT - Richard Joseph Nunan passed away at home on April 12, 2021 following a battle with brain cancer. Born January 26, 1952 in Cork, Ireland, he immigrated with his family to Birmingham, Alabama in 1958. After meeting his wife Victoria as students at Vassar College, he earned his doctorate at UNC Chapel Hill. The couple settled in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina, where they raised their two daughters. Richard taught philosophy at the College of Charleston for 36 years. Whether his students were time-travel enthusiasts, passionate about LGBTQ+ rights, or just very reluctant to learn logic, he loved teaching them. He taught and wrote on wide-ranging topics, including philosophy of film, law, and ethics. When not at work, he loved puttering in his garden, watching sci-fi movies of varying quality, traveling with his wife Victoria, and conducting a life-long campaign to trick his daughters into loving Bob Dylan as much as he did. Richard is survived by his wife, Victoria West, daughters, Rebecca Nunan (Victor Trac) and Alexandra Nunan, brothers, Mark Nunan and Tom Nunan, sister, Adrienne Ruthven, step-mother, Margie Nunan, countless other beloved family members and friends, and grandchildren, Finn and Maeve, already hard at work on their time machine schematics in his honor. He was predeceased by his parents, Timothy Nunan and Carmel Cotter Nunan, and his brother, Timothy Nunan. Because of the pandemic, Richard's life will be celebrated at later dates in Charleston and Ireland. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Metanoia in North Charleston, Planned Parenthood , and the Scholarship Enrichment Fund at the College of Charleston . Visit our guestbook at legacy.com/obituaries/charleston

Published by Charleston Post & Courier from Apr. 14 to Apr. 15, 2021.
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Memories and Condolences
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Richard was a man of integrity.

Ned Hettinger

Coworker

April 29, 2021

Mary and Duncan

April 25, 2021

Bo Walker

April 22, 2021

Meyers-Sison-Adkins Family

April 16, 2021

Amber Adkins and Family

April 16, 2021

Dearest Victoria-My heartfelt condolences to you and your family on Richard´s passing.

Sue Johnson

April 15, 2021

He was patient with people who lacked his virtues. He was so bright as to always be three steps ahead (and still patient), and it was wonderful to be around that kind of intelligence and to have poorly-expressed thoughts still understood thoroughly, improved often due to this. And he was courageous in a way you can hardly find, willing to defend a wronged person and to point out what was wrong in a way most people just won't out of, I guess, fear or not caring. He did not have that fear and he did care. This is a tremendous loss and we are grateful to everyone who contributed to Richard being exactly how he was.

Jennifer Baker

Coworker

April 15, 2021

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