Sad News: Gregory Shesko
June 18, 2020
Dear Colleagues,
I write to share with you the sad news Gregory John Shesko, former Associate Dean for Arts and Sciences and then Assistant Provost for Academic Finance and Administration, passed away on June 16 at home with his wife and daughter present, one month shy of his 77th birthday. He is survived by his wife Marilyn (Markovich); his daughter Liz (Adam Wallace) and two grandchildren, Rebecca and Grant of Beverly Hills, Michigan; his sister Valerie of Wyoming, Ohio, and his niece Alexandra (Jake Merk) of Charleston, South Carolina.
Born in Brooklyn, New York he graduated from Brooklyn Technical High School in 1961, received a B.A. from Brooklyn College in 1965, and a M.A. in History from Harvard in 1966. He conducted doctoral research in Moscow during 1970-1971 on monasterial landholding in Muscovite Russia. Although he never taught, he devoted his professional life to academia. Greg worked at Brandeis University for almost thirty years, serving as Associate Dean for Arts and Sciences and then Assistant Provost for Academic Finance and Administration.
A lifelong member of the Orthodox Church, the Orthodox Church in America presented Greg with its highest award, the Order of St. Innocent, for his service, which included terms on The Metropolitan Council, the Pension Board, work on the Archives Advisory Committee, numerous terms on the New England Diocesan Council, and active participation in every All-American Council meeting from 1977 to 2012.
Greg devoted a significant portion of his life to libraries. He held leadership roles in the Friends of the Needham Public Library since 1991. Appointed by the governor to the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners from 2009-2019, Greg helped libraries around the state, serving terms as secretary and then president.
Greg leaves behind several hundred thousand photographs that he took over the years, which brought him and many others great joy. He shared his love of the theater with many and always had a book that he “thought that you might like.” In addition to books, he built an extensive collection of old portrait prints. He loved Needham and served as an elected town meeting member from 1987 to 2020. In meeting someone new, Greg always found a way to connect through place, books, politics, or the arts. He was aware of and heartened by the Supreme Court decision released the day before his death.
A more complete obituary for Greg on which this note is based can be found here https://www.eatonfuneralhomes.
Greg Shesko was deeply committed to the values and mission of Brandeis, and he will be sorely missed.
Sincerely,
Lisa M. Lynch, Provost