We are sad to report that Martin A. Hipsky Jr., Ph.D., Professor Emeritus of English, passed away unexpectedly on Sept. 14, 2026, at his home in New Haven, Connecticut. He was 62.
Dr. Hipsky joined the Ohio Wesleyan faculty in 1995 and taught Bishops for 25 years. During his tenure, he served as the head of the First-Year Writing Program, the associate dean for First-Year Students, and the chair of the English Department. Marty also helped establish OWU’s Film Studies program. He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Classics from Yale University and received his doctorate from Duke University.
In his obituary, Marty’s family shares: “Though books were at the center of his life, Marty nurtured interests outside the academy. As a boy, he ran cross-country and grew up to be a marathon runner. He dabbled in drawing and was especially interested in cartography. He loved animals, and almost always had at least one pet cat. Always politically active, he was a particular fan of Bob Dylan and other revolutionary midcentury artists. His greatest pleasure was trout fishing in the quiet streams of New England.”
Services will be private. The family suggests donations to the Connecticut Land Conservation Council, 27 Washington St., Middletown, CT 06457, or www.ctconservation.org.
Please join us in extending our deepest sympathies to everyone who knew and loved Marty, including his mother, Linda Generali; stepmother, Gail Hipsky; and daughter, Lily Wiest.
Source: The Offices of Academic Affairs and Human Resources