The College is mourning the passing of John Mosher, adjunct professor in the department of mathematics.
Students who expected to take class with Mosher were shocked to learn of his death.
"I remember that he told that he was 51 and in the best shape of his life," Brittany Addeo, sophomore elementary education/sociology major, said. "I think that's why I was so shocked when I received the e-mail (about his death)."
"(Mosher's) been a part of this community for a long time," Matt Golden, director of Communications and Media Relations, said.
Mosher had a way of making students feel at ease.
"I'm not a math person at all and I was pretty nervous about taking Professor Mosher's class. When he actually walked in and introduced himself, I remember feeling like the ice was broken," Trish Tevington, sophomore sociology major, said. "I can't remember exactly what he said, but somehow the way he conducted himself reassured me that he was going to be a good teacher and was generally just a nice guy."
According to an e-mail the College sent on Jan. 26 announcing Mosher's death, he had "earned both bachelor's and master's degrees at the College in 1976 and 1978, respectively."
Mosher, who also worked as a teacher at Willingboro Township High School, has served as an adjunct since 1984.
Aigli Papantonopoulou, chair of the mathematics and statistics department, said that Mosher was very active within the mathematics department. "He was very accommodating," she said. Papantonopoulou remembered Mosher's willingness to teach any class the department needed him for, even during the summer.
Balvir Singh, senior secondary education/mathematics major, worked with Mosher during one summer as a tutor for his class.
"From my experiences with him, he was a very soft and well-spoken guy," Singh said. "He was very casual and cared about his students."
"The students liked him," Jane Levandusky, a secretary in the mathematics department who knew Mosher well, said. "He always got good evaluations."
According to Levandusky, Mosher's family has decided to keep his funeral private. Levandusky said that there could be a memorial service in the future, however.
Levandusky described Mosher as well-liked and honest, even about private matters such as his homosexuality.
"He wasn't shy about (his sexuality)," Levandusky said laughing. "We loved him here - both secretaries (in the mathematics department). He was just an alright good guy."
Mosher also wasn't shy about telling his students that he had both diabetes and HIV, according to Addeo.
"He was always very cheerful and considering the way he described his health circumstances, I think that is also admirable," Tevington said.
Michael Ionnone, professor of mathematics and statistics, knew Mosher both when he was a student at Trenton State College in the 1970s and when he returned as an adjunct professor in the 1980s.
Ionnone served as the mathematics and statistics department chair for several years while Mosher taught here.
"During his 20-plus years as an adjunct, I was always appreciative of the dedication he gave to our students," Ionnone said. "He was always well-prepared for his courses and was dedicated in his efforts to assist students to develop a full conceptual understanding of the course content."
