Tufts has lost one of its greatest.

History professor Gerald Gill, a two-time Massachusetts Professor of the Year award winner, was found dead in his Cambridge apartment last night, according to an email to the Tufts community from Larry Bacow and a number of professors and deans.

Sure, it’s easy for Bacow to say something like, “Tufts loved Gerald and Gerald loved Tufts,” or, “He was a master teacher and a gifted scholar.” But Professor Gill truly was something else.

I had him for one class last year, and it certainly was one of the best I’ve taken at Tufts. His classes were always in high demand, and for good reason. He gave detailed, uncannily captivating lectures, peppered with his wry wit and references to student life. Professor Gill clearly wasn’t just trying to talk for fifty minutes and get out of there; he was passionate about educating, and that came through loud and clear. His answers to questions were detailed, and he never resisted diverging from a lesson plan to ensure that he and his students were on the same page.

Pardon the deviation from our usual satirical theme, but the loss of someone like Professor Gill should not go without commemoration.