William F. Touponce

Bill grew up in Pittsfield, Massachusetts. He served his country proudly in the Vietnam War with the 192nd Assault Helicopter Company. After Vietnam, Bill became a lifelong scholar. In 1981 he earned his Ph.D. in Comparative Literature (U. Mass Amherst). Bill settled in Indianapolis in 1984, joining the English department of IUPUI. He spent the next twenty-eight years at IUPUI and when he retired he had published several books on the masters of science fiction and co-founded the Center for Ray Bradbury Studies. Throughout his career Bill was an innovative and groundbreaking scholar, motivated by a desire to bring pioneering concepts of texts and their meaning into the classroom. He spent his life immersed in what he loved – science fiction and literature. Bill was a loving father with a soft voice and a wonderful sense of humor. He will be remembered forever by those who knew him.

“Science-fiction balances you on the cliff. Fantasy shoves you off.” – Ray Bradbury

He is survived by his loving wife Julie, daughter Dorothy, and son Nathan.

Funeral services will be held Friday, June 23 at 12 p.m. At Flanner and Buchanan-Oaklawn Memorial Gardens, with visitation beginning at 10 a.m.