Dr. William Richards Neblett Jr., died recently. He was 79.

Bill Neblett was born on October 4th 1934 and grew up in Key West, Florida. He graduated from Key West High School in 1952 and went on to study at Florida State University where he earned his master’s degree. He then received a Ph.D.in philosophy at UCLA, where he was a Fulbright Scholar at the London School of Economics.

Although Bill had the opportunity return to Key West to join his father’s law firm, Neblett & Sauer, he followed his passion of philosophy and teaching. He began teaching at Occidental College in California in 1965 and served on the faculty until his retirement in 2004. He taught moral, social and 20th-century philosophy, published widely in such journals as Ethics and the Journal of Philosophy, and was an author whose books include The Role of Feelings and Morals and Sherlock’s Logic. He is also published in a book of poetry along with President Obama who attended Occidental College and was involved in racial equality groups wherein Dr. Neblett served as the faculty advisor.

Bill Neblett’s interests extended beyond the classroom and he performed in modern jazz orchestras on the acoustic bass and as a percussionist in a number of avant garde music groups. He loved to fish and was an actor and musician in improvisational theater who lived at various times in England, Cuba, and Brazil.

He is survived by his wife Delza and his two children Vianne and David.