Message on Wagih Dafashy
Provost Michael. R. Halleran sent the following message to the campus community Feb. 5, 2018 - Ed.
Dear colleagues,
I am sorry to report that Professor Wagih Dafashy passed away in his sleep Friday evening, February 2nd after nearly five decades as a faculty member in the business school at W&M. Wagih received an undergraduate degree in accounting in his native Egypt and worked initially as chief auditor for the General Accounting Office of the Egyptian government. In 1960 he came to the U.S. and received an MBA from the University of Texas in 1963 and Ph.D. in Accounting from the University of Arkansas in 1966.
He joined the William & Mary faculty in 1965 as an assistant professor of accounting, having been hired by Founding Business School Dean Charlie Quittmeyer. Professor Dafashy became a faculty cornerstone of W&M’s fledging School of Business and quickly rose to the rank of tenured full professor. He has taught thousands of undergraduate, graduate, and professional students over the years including the current Mason School Dean, Larry Pulley. Wagih is remembered as caring deeply for his students’ progress and success both inside and outside the classroom, for his humility and kindness, and for being able to make intricate accounting topics understandable. His courses were extremely popular and almost always oversubscribed. Dean Pulley remembers his introductory accounting class with Professor Dafashy on the third floor of Jones Hall as one of his favorites. “Wagih was then and always remained a wonderful teacher and faculty member and sterling and kind human being.”
Professor Dafashy retired as Chancellor Professor Emeritus in 2007. But teaching and interacting with students were too deeply ingrained in him for him to stop. He became a visiting professor in accounting in a different “Mason School of Business” at George Mason University for four years and returned to his original Mason School of Business at W&M in 2012 where he has continued to teach undergraduate and graduate accounting courses.
Professor Dafashy is survived by Sally, his beloved wife of fifty years, and sons David and John and their families. The family will receive visitors at Nelson Funeral Home on Wednesday, February 7th from 6:00 pm until 8:00 pm and a memorial service will be held at Bruton Parish on Thursday, February 8th at 4:00 pm.
Professor Wagih Dafashy has been a big part of what makes W&M so very special. He will be greatly missed.
Sincerely,
Michael