Silence replaced the usual chatter that echoed through the hallsof The University of Memphis Engineering Sciences building the dayafter professor Jamie Hurley collapsed in class and later died.
The muffled sound of a freight train and the occasional beepingof car horns weren't heard by the half dozen students informallygathered before their 8 a.m. classes. Some had been there Wednesdaymorning when Hurley collapsed from cardiac arrest, while others hadonly heard about it.
Down the hall, administrative secretary Beverly McMillanremembered that Hurley's love for teaching was only surpassed byhis love of sailing.
"He spent all his free time sailing," she said. "He won a fewboat races and has sailing trophies in his office. It was somethinghe really loved to do."
On long weekends and during semester breaks, Hurley would spendas much time as he could in Pickwick, Tenn., where he kept hisboat.
But sailing wasn't the only thing Hurley loved, McMillan said.Above all else, he loved his wife and daughter, but thesometimes-reserved Hurley rarely talked about private things aroundthe office.
Civil engineering professor Orville Wheeler said he remembersHurley as a great mind, dedicated teacher and avid sailor.
Hurley had a "very high interest in engineering and teaching"and often worked independently on areas of interest withintransportation engineering, Wheeler said.
When Hurley wasn't teaching or working on projects for the civilengineering department, he was fighting a losing battle against theoffice copy machine.
"He'd yell to me 'Bev, it's doing it again,' and I'd laugh,"McMillan said. "That machine would break down every time he wentnear it."
During football season, Hurley vehemently followed MississippiState, his alma mater, and McMillan said she didn't mind revelingin the Tigers' win this season against Hurley's old school.
But as a Tiger for more than 20 years, he didn't mind.
Since 1981, when Hurley first joined the then-Memphis StateUniversity faculty, he had a passion for teaching, said MartinLipinski, civil engineering department chair.
Hurley came to Memphis after a short teaching stint at VirginiaPolytechnic Institute and a "more than distinguished career in theindustry," Lipinski said.
And as recognized as Hurley was in his professional career, hewas often lauded at Memphis, including being voted Faculty of theYear in 1995 by the Student Chapter of the American Society ofCivil Engineers.
The award was likely the fruit of years of investing in hisstudents, McMillan said.
"He cared very much about his students," Lipinski said. "Hereally enjoyed teaching and working with them ... especially theundergrad students."
When teaching, Lipinski said Hurley was "tough but fair."
"Many of the students and former students who are close to Dr.Hurley had to take his class twice to pass," Lipinski said. "Theyknew he was most concerned with their learning the material."
McMillan said she remembers students going to Hurley's officewith questions and concerns.
"He would drop everything and talk to them," she said.
Thursday, Hurley's office door was closed, guarded by a singlevase of white lilies.
Classes went on but something about them didn't seem thesame.
"We're a very close, very tight knit faculty, and students areall close as well," Lipinski said. "We're a real family, and thewhole family feels pain now. He'll be greatly missed."
