Glen Allen Omans, 81, Temple professor

Glen Allen "Al" Omans, 81, of Mount Airy, a professor emeritus of English at Temple University, died of complications from colon cancer Wednesday, May 5, at Roxborough Hospital.

For more than 30 years, Dr. Omans taught English literature at Temple and served a term as English department chair. An authority on Edgar Allan Poe, he published many scholarly articles and the monograph Poe and Passion. He retired in 1996.

Dr. Omans was a member of the Poe Studies Association and the Modern Language Association. He was past president of the New York Browning Society and chaired its annual poetry contest. The society studies the work of Robert and Elizabeth Barrett Browning and their circle.

Dr. Omans enjoyed traveling and liked hunting wild turkey and canoeing at his summer cabin in Michigan.

He was a gifted teacher, a good storyteller, and "a charming social presence," said his wife, Jeanne.

A native of Bay City, Mich., he earned a bachelor's degree from Michigan State University, where he was an NCAA champion swimmer.

During the Korean War, he served in the Army in Korea.

After his discharge, he lived in Paris for a year and studied at the Sorbonne. He then earned a master's degree from the University of Michigan and a doctorate in English literature from the University of Minnesota.

In addition to his wife of 23 years, Dr. Omans is survived by a son, Nick; daughters Nicole, Colette, and Danielle; a brother; a sister; five grandchildren; and his former wife, Berniece.

The funeral will be at 11 a.m. Friday, May 14, at Calvary Episcopal Church, 5020 Pulaski St. Dr. Omans sang in the church choir and served on the vestry.