Fond Farewell: Beloved Philosopher and Educator, Dennis Wayne Rothermel

Announced on: Wednesday, Oct. 29, 2025

Dennis Wayne Rothermel, professor emeritus of philosophy, passed away October 5, 2025, in Asheville, North Carolina. He was 76. A devoted scholar, teacher, and colleague, Rothermel dedicated more than four decades to Chico State, profoundly shaping the Department of Philosophy and the University's intellectual community.

Born October 17, 1949, in South Bend, Indiana, Rothermel graduated from John Adams High School and earned a bachelor's degree in philosophy from Yale University, followed by a master's and PhD from Northwestern University.

He joined the Chico State faculty in 1978 and served for 41 years, teaching courses in critical thinking, continental philosophy, and philosophy and film.

His wide-ranging scholarship included numerous journal articles, book chapters, and conference presentations. He authored publications on film including, "Slow Food, Slow Film," "Heroic Endurance," and "Anti-War War Films," and published book chapters on filmmakers such as Joel and Ethan Coen, Clint Eastwood, John Ford, Bertrand Tavernier, Julie Taymor, and Aki Kaurismäki. He also co-edited two volumes—one on peace studies and another on film and media theory—and remained intellectually active in retirement, pursuing new projects, including a book on the Grateful Dead's filmography.

He served as department chair for more than a decade and later as interim academic vice provost and dean of Undergraduate Education. His steady leadership and commitment to academic excellence left a lasting mark on the University.

Rothermel is survived by his beloved companion of 14 years, Amy Janine Belanger; sister, Gaynelle (Rothermel) Winograd; sister-in-law, Kitsy Rothermel; nieces and nephews, Holly Rothermel, Jeffrey Rothermel, Greta Ruppert, Michael Winograd, and Julie Winograd, and their spouses, Michael Dettelbach, Naomi Neville, Matthew Ruppert, and Theresa Winograd; and nine great-nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents, Russell and Adella Rothermel, and brother, Terry Rothermel.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in his honor to the Pacific Film Archives in Berkeley or Culture's Edge in Black Mountain, North Carolina.

The University flag will be lowered October 30 in his memory, and family and friends will hold private celebrations of his life at a later date.