Dr. Raymond Cormier, husband of Longwood’s 24th president, Dr. Patricia Cormier, passed away peacefully on January 2, 2026. He served as a professor in the Department of English and Modern Languages until his retirement in 2009.
President Cormier and Raymond, who often went by the title “First Gent of Longwood,” were fixtures in the Farmville and Prince Edward community for 14 years. They worked together as Longwood launched its first capital campaign, rebuilt after the Rotunda fire of 2001, and transitioned to a university in 2002. Dr. Cormier was a medieval comparative literature scholar, well known in the field, and published more than 100 journal articles along with seven books throughout his life. In 2011, he published his magnum opus, The Methods of Medieval Translators: A Comparison of the Latin Text of Virgil’s Aeneid with its Old French Adaptations, built on four decades of research. A lover of the written word, he was nearing completion on his eighth novel when he passed. His papers are archived in Greenwood Library.
“Our hearts are with President Cormier and her family as we celebrate the life of her dear husband Raymond. The Cormiers had a grand vision for Longwood, working side-by-side through many accomplishments over their great years here,” said Longwood President W. Taylor Reveley IV. “Raymond was a notable scholar who championed academics at Longwood and contributed much to his field. His prolific writing will long continue to be a source of rich insight for medieval literature scholars, and Farmville and Longwood are certainly richer for our time spent with him.”
Dr. Raymond Cormier taught at several universities and colleges, including Stanford, Harvard, Tufts, the University of Virginia, and Temple. Here at Longwood, he taught French language classes, and literature courses, including Introduction to Medieval Celtic Literature and a study abroad course on Arthurian Literature, co-taught with Dr. Carolyn Craft, professor of English. He was a challenging teacher as well as a generous mentor to younger faculty colleagues in the department. For many years, Dr. Cormier graciously hosted students being inducted into the French honor society at Longwood House for the ceremony and celebratory dinner.