Jonathan Hufstader, an author and English professor emeritus at the University of Connecticut, died peacefully at Bryn Mawr Hospital in Pennsylvania on June 28, surrounded by his family. He was 84.

Jonathan grew up in Manhattan and spent summers at his family’s home on North Water street in Edgartown. He learned to sail at the Edgartown Yacht Club, where he raced his Beach Boat, Sunset.

A lifelong learner and a wonderful teacher, he graduated from the Buckley School, Milton Academy and Yale University before deciding to enter the Catholic priesthood. He studied for four years at the College of Sant’Anselmo, a Benedictine monasterial college in Rome, where he was ordained by Pope Paul VI.

Taking the name Father Anselm, Jonathan joined the Benedictine monastery at Portsmouth Abbey in Portsmouth, R.I., where he taught French and religion and coached sailing at the Portsmouth Abbey School before becoming its headmaster for four years. He also published his first book, God’s Time is the Best Time, during his years as a priest.

He always shared many fond memories of adventures with his students at Portsmouth, whether begrudgingly adopting the dorm cat, Fang, or leading bike trips through Europe and pilgrimages to Lourdes, where he and his students helped care for patients who sought healing from the waters there.

After leaving the priesthood in 1986, he taught at Dana Hall School and earned his Ph.D. in English at Harvard University, where he studied with the eminent literary critic Helen Vendler.

He married teacher Janis Franklin in 1987. Their daughter Rebecca was born in 1988 and Susannah in 1990.

In 1993, the family moved to Storrs, Conn. where Jonathan taught and advised University of Connecticut students for more than 20 years. During that time, he published his book Tongue of Water, Teeth of Stones: Modern Irish Poetry and Social Violence.

In Storrs and beyond, Jonathan always supported Rebecca and Susie in their adventures and endeavors. Last fall, he and Janis came to Wesley Enhanced Living in Media, Penn., hoping to simplify their health care and daily living challenges and to live closer to Rebecca and her growing family.

He endeared himself to his family, friends and students with his dry sense of humor, depth of knowledge, thoughtful insights and cheerful humility.

He was always ready to dive deep on the etymology of a word, a close reading of a poem, a good palindrome, a joke in French or an insight at Torah study at Beth El Congregation of Mansfield in Storrs.

He loved UConn basketball and the New York Yankees, who had a perfect game on June 28 just for him. He had a rough couple of years, plagued by repeated injuries and infections, but never became bitter or despairing. He will be missed and remembered.

Jonathan is survived by his wife, Janis Franklin, of Media, Penn.; daughter Rebecca Hufstader, son in law, Jonah Eaton and new grandson Tobias, of Philadelphia; daughter Susannah Hufstader and her partner Aliza Gazek of Oakland, Calif; and seven dear nieces and nephews and their families, including Louisa Hufstader of Edgartown and Elizabeth Balay of Edgartown and Earlysville, Va.

He was predeceased by his sister, Lucy Sharp, and his brother, Peter Hufstader.

His family is gathering in Edgartown this weekend to commit his ashes to the sea.

Memorial donations can be made to First Generation UConn in Storrs or the Nationalities Service Center in Philadelphia.