Mary Lou Daniel
September 01, 1936 - February 24, 2026
Obituary
MADISON - Professor Mary Lou Daniel passed in late February, 2026, into the eternal heavenly existence she so eagerly awaited. The only child of British immigrants Henry “Harry” and Lily Daniel, she was born in 1936 in Madison, Wis., at the end of the hottest summer recorded in that city.
Professor Daniel graduated from Madison East High School and the University of Wisconsin (B.S. degree in Secondary Education with major in Spanish [1958], M.A. in Spanish [1959], Ph.D. in Portuguese [1965]; member of Phi Beta Kappa and Phi Kappa Phi). She taught elementary (1959-1960) and middle school (1960-1961) Spanish in Florida public schools, created the Portuguese undergraduate program at the University of Iowa (where she taught from 1965-1977), and eventually returned to her home department at the University of Wisconsin, where she taught Portuguese until her retirement in 1998. Her tenure at the UW also included 20 years (1978-1998) as Co-Editor of the Luso-Brazilian Review, a journal published by the UW Press.
Beginning in 1972, she added to her schedule extracurricular “pro bono” translation work with Wycliffe Bible Translators (Summer Institute of Linguistics) in Brazil, and during 12 years of her retirement (2011-2023) she translated similar stylistic/linguistic texts nearly full time for the Brazilian Bible Society. She authored the prize-winning book, João Guimarães Rosa: Travessia Literária (José Olympio Ed., 1968) and other shorter works, including A Nobre Tradição do Humanismo Cristão (Novo Século, 2000), and articles concerning aspects of the XIX-XX century and contemporary literatures of Brazil, Portugal, and Lusophone Africa (Angola and Mozambique).
Sometimes commenting that "her native language was music," Professor Daniel carried on an active parallel career as cellist (with an undergraduate fellowship from the UW Music Clinic), pianist (with the certificate in piano teaching from the Sherwood School of Music, Chicago), and choral vocalist (especially as an alto in the UW Choral Union).
As a follower of Jesus Christ, she firmly believed that the "haves" should share as much as possible with the "have nots," and was a supporter of a wide variety of charities and missions. Her delight in the sharing of knowledge and the success of her students was manifested throughout her life. Professor Daniel was a member of Gateway Community Church in Middleton, with additional fellowship at City Church in Madison.
At her request, there will be no memorial service. Private interment will take place at Forest Hill Cemetery.
Memorial gifts may be made to Gateway Community Church, gccmiddleton.org or to Wisconsin Public Radio, give.wpr.org, or a charity of your choice.
Online condolences may be made at www.gundersonfh.com <http://www.gundersonfh.com>.
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