Dr. Muller was a dear, delightful gentleman.  Our paths would cross in places such as Nickel Arcade or Expresso Royale.  We would always have a pleasant conversation.  He would not allow me to lapse into English, but made me speak French the whole time.  For that, I will be eternally thankful.

my husband and I first met Marcel in Paris, where he and Leonore were spending a a holiday. We walked and talked and dined and were charmed We later reflected that Leonore s path had brought her to meet this wonderful man, who complemented her in every way. His intelligence and wit, his charm, his profound humanity made every moment with him a joy. It shall always be so. Marcel will always be a special light in my life. Thank you Leonore, for every moment we spent together.
Anna Laura

Midstream in my grieving period, perhaps never to end entirely, I write to thank the many friends who added their thoughts to this guest book. Some of you I may see soon, others, the faraway friends, in the future, I do hope.

Marcel was my friend, a true friend. He is still very much in my thoughts and in the numerous hand-written playful, funny, exploratory, sometimes moody, letters he sent to me. I miss him.

So many days later and I still cannot find exactly the right words. My Uncle Marcel was a unique and wonderful spirit and I am fortunate to have wonderful childhood memories of his visits. My family is grateful there were so many good, interesting people in his life, dear Leonore being the icing on the cake. To watch my Uncle and Leonore together was quite beautiful and heart-warming. The kind entries in this guestbook make me smile with recognition and appreciation. Thank you to all who made his life such a rich tapestry of experiences.

Our French in Ann Arbor community has lost one of its beloved teachers and members, Professor Marcel Muller. He has enriched us with his wonderful literary salons held at Leonore Gerstein's residence. Our many intellectual promenades with him let us meander through Baudelaire's poetry and Marcel Proust's A la recherche du temps perdu. We all loved his immense knowledge and his brilliant intellect. He shared his passions with us freely and generously. For me personally, Marcel was a friend I could listen to for hours. Nothing about what he had to say was conventional nor banal. His seriousness about philosophy and literature will not overshadow his wonderful sense of humor which I appreciated immensely. Our/My heartfelt condolences go to Leonore and his family.

Marcel was my professor at the University of Michigan between 1978 and 1982. What great memories I have of him both as my most esteemed professor and mentor, and as a dear, irreplaceable friend! I owe to him my love of literature study, and research, and conversation, my critical thinking and my way of literary expression. His way of inspiring and challenging students was so far from my experience at the University of Bucharest in the late seventies, and I was always grateful to him for showing me how a great professor can influence and change the life trajectory of his students. Marcel was the kind of professor and friend so important in your life that his idea of you becomes your definition. He was generous, witty, kind, and funny, and I will always remember him dancing to classical music that he would hum in our kitchen in Texas! Thank you, Marcel, for the gift of having been my friend!

Michaela Hecht, Nice France, and Woodstock GA

I first met Marcel not long after he came to the University of Michigan.  For decades after this we met for lunch at Raja Rani every few weeks. He always brought a list with him of films that he wanted me to see.  What could I do but bring a list of my own for him?  He always reported back faithfully.  The conversation often turned to politics or to the state of the humanities or to philosophy.  At one time he came from reading Schelling and Fichte (in German, of course) and, while other guests were munching on Indian specialties and engaging in light mid-day banter, Marcel held forth passionately on these authors' discussions of metaphor and metonymy.  Such topics as these gave him an opportunity to display a brand of acerbic and even aphoristic enthusiasm or indignation.  I once asked him whether his Department presented colloquia. Oh, no, he replied, everyone is rushing to the Xerox machine. I praised the poetry of this answer but at that moment he was not to be humored out of his funk: he had his standards, and they were often my standards as well. But when he tried his hand at psychoanalytic interpretations of scenes in Swann, he would not yield to my demurrals.  His fondness for serious argument over soup (which was never nearly hot enough!) is well known to all who knew him. It would be wrong to say that he was a character; no, he had character.  His intensity, along with his wit, makes him unforgettable.

We became friends at first sight in Aix in 1968 and we kept in touch ever since. I owe him my years in the US and, while a junior colleague of his, he made me love and understand Proust and the virtue of wit and humour. He had an immense and profoundly humanistic culture, literary, musical, philosophical, filmic, which he shared with unparalleled generosity. The dozens of letters he wrote me (as well as to many other friends: he had a much frustrated love of conversation in the old European way) are jewels of style and a matchless chronicle of campus life as he both loved and hated it. The loss of such a great human being and friend cannot be measured. He was fortunate to have Leonore at his side -- she will keep his presence felt for all his friends to enjoy.

I only had the chance to know Marcel for a short time, but it was a special opportunity that I won't forget.  It was a pleasure to hear him talk about literature.  My gratitude to Leonore for that opportunity, and my condolences for her loss.

Marcel could whistle symphonies he learned from the radio in pre-war Belgium. Kind, funny, acute, immensely human, a great friend to my sons.  Irreplaceable.

I was a student of Marcel's -- learning from the master when we read Proust in his class. those themes and lively conversations about Proust over tea(me), and endless tiny cups of espresso (Marcel) at Espresso Royale over the years since are treasured memories.  I always loved to ask what he was reading -- always something that would feed into his study of Proust -- in the original French, German!   I would always ask him what he was listening to, for he had an international love of symphonic music.  He would often come to our coffee chats with a season long set of possible concerts based on what he was listening to, or pieces that he recalled from various concerts he had heard during his summer research trips back to Belgium and France.   I know that there were many of his students who look back with pride at the way he taught us much about life and how to learn via Proust.

I am immensely saddened by Marcel's departure. I will always cherish the times I spent with him and feel extremely grateful that our paths crossed.  Toute ma plus grande sympathie à Leonore.

We are saddened by Marcel's departure; and we remember, with pleasure and tears, his presence among us: his talent for humor in the most unlikely places; his warmth and genuine affection; his erudition, which he wore lightly, but which he generously shared with those of us who sought it. We will miss him,
Don, Elisabeth, and Marcus

Marcel was the dear sweet chair of my doctoral dissertation committee. He was very very helpful in the process without being controlling or intrusive. He was also a wonderful friend. His passing leaves a void in the hearts of the many who knew him. Thanks to Leonore he received the best care and love he deserved. My heartfelt concern goes out to her at this sad time.

The obituary I wrote is the public face of my sadness. It serves to let all know of our loss. The words there can merely hint at my immeasurable gratitude for Marcel's and my mutual love and regard.

I hope others will add their thoughts to this memorial book.

AVIS DE DÉCÈS

Marcel Nicolas Muller

2 juin 1926 – 14 octobre 2015

Muehlig Funeral Chapel

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Memorial Service & Gathering

A Light Reception Will Follow The Memorial Service, Memorial Service Will Begin At 1:30 p.m.