William “Ed” Hicks, former Troy University faculty member and chair of the English Department, passed away at the age of 87 surrounded by family on July 18, 2025 after a long illness.

Hicks arrived at TROY in 1974 and would go on to teach for 38 years. Described as a natural-born teacher, he also served as a mentor to his colleagues and influenced generations of students in the English Department.

During his career, Hicks taught a variety of courses including verse writing, modern poetry, the modern short story, the modern novel, Southern literature, song writing, fiction and film and many sections of world literature and composition. He also participating in many plays and musicals while at TROY, some of which include Guys and Dolls, 1776, My Fair Lady, The King and I, Hamlet and many others.

“Ed Hicks approached life and learning with vigor, enthusiasm, and curiosity,” said Tori Lee Averett, Chair of the Department of Theatre and Dance and Associate Dean for the College of Arts and Humanities. “His insatiable appetite for experience and knowledge led him through a variety of activities and disciplines. He was always an active part of Theatre and Dance at TROY, cheering from the audience, challenging and provoking through dramaturgical discussions, debating and celebrating in post-show conversations, and even taking the stage in several productions over the years. And of course, he never missed an opportunity to support the theatre and dance endeavors of his wife and daughters on Troy University’s stages and beyond.”

Averett also shared that his vitality and love for literature and living were contagious and inspiring. 

“We don’t see teachers and thinkers like Ed Hicks very often – he was one of those once-in-a-lifetime teachers dedicated to sharing with others not what to think but how to think,” she said. “He will be deeply missed, though his influence and impact live on in innumerable ways through the lives he touched and the students he taught.”

Michael Orlofsky, professor and director of the Creative Writing Program at Troy University, shared that Hicks had an open personality and accepted students where they were and impressed on them the importance of life’s potential. 

“Many students became English majors and minors, or rededicated their commitment to English as a calling, after they experienced Ed’s compelling way of encountering literature and writing,” Orlofsky said. “Many students who never took a course with Ed would stop by his office for advice, encouragement, or simply to talk.”

During the 1979-1980 school year, Hicks was awarded the Ingalls Award which is given annually to the teacher on the Troy Campus who has “most diligently, effectively and cheerfully conducted his or her classes during the current academic year.”

Hicks met the love of his life, Deborah, who also taught in the English Department. They were married for 36 years and had three daughters, Suzanne, Adrienne and Caitlin. 

Those who knew Ed are invited to celebrate his life on Saturday, August 23, 2025 at the Emporium (112 W. Walnut St.) in downtown Troy from 4:00 to 6:00 p.m.