Professor Xinnong Yi

Professor Xinong Yi, a respected scholar of Western, World literature and East-West comparative literature, beloved teacher, and devoted husband and father, passed away peacefully in Washington, D.C. He was 93 years old.

Professor Yi was born on January 8, 1932, in Xiangxiang, Hunan Province, China. Orphaned at a young age, he was raised in the book-filled home of his maternal grandfather, the noted bibliophile WANG Lipei. Growing up during the turbulent years of the Second World War and the Chinese civil war, he experienced hardship early in life. Yet these years also nurtured in him a deep love of learning and literature that would shape his entire life.

After initial studies at Xiangbei Construction College and early work in public service, Professor Yi was admitted in 1956 to Sun Yat-sen University (Zhongshan University) in Guangzhou, China, where he graduated from the Department of Chinese Language and Literature in 1960 and remained to teach. Over the following decades, he became a distinguished scholar of Western, World literature and East–West comparative literature, contributing to the development of this field in China.

His many published works include Foreign Literature (Western Section), first issued in 1985 and widely used as a university textbook, as well as co-authored volumes such as A History of Oriental Literature and A History of World Comparative Literature. His essays explored world literature through a cross-cultural lens, helping to open new pathways in comparative literary studies.

In his later years, Professor Yi devoted himself to biographical studies of modern scholars, publishing important works including The Biography of Ye Qifang, The Biography of Rong Geng, and The Modern Book Collector Wang Lipei. In doing so, he sought to preserve the intellectual spirit and moral character of those who helped shape modern Chinese scholarship.

Above all, Professor Yi was a gifted and generous teacher. His students remember his extraordinary memory, engaging lectures, and his ability to illuminate literature with depth, warmth, and imagination. He inspired generations not only to acquire knowledge, but to think independently and to cultivate an inner life rooted in curiosity, integrity, and compassion. His kindness extended far beyond the classroom, and he quietly helped many students in both academic and personal times of need.

As a father, he encouraged his children to pursue truth, to cherish integrity and reputation, and to value freedom of thought. He believed, deeply and quietly, in the dignity of the individual spirit and the transformative power of learning.

Professor Yi is lovingly survived by his wife of 66 years, Jianhong Wang, and their two children Danying Yi (Mike Nicholas), Danxuan Yi (Amber Hu); and his cherished grandsons Gareth Nicholas and Bryan Yi. His family will forever treasure his wisdom, patience, and the moral example he set through a long life marked by resilience, devotion to scholarship, and care for others.

Services:

A funeral service for Professor Yi was held at:

DeVol Funeral Home

2222 Wisconsin Ave NW

Washington, DC

January 4, 2026 at 11:00 AM

A witness cremation will take place at:

National Funeral Home

7482 Lee Hwy

Falls Church, VA

January 7, 2026 at 10:00 AM

His ashes will be interred at Oak Hill Cemetery in Washington, D.C. in the spring, when the flowers are in bloom — a season of renewal that reflects the life of the mind and spirit he so cherished.

He will be deeply missed, and lovingly remembered, by family, friends, colleagues, and the many students whose lives he touched.

易新农教授，长期任教于广州中山大学中文系、著名的外国文学与比较文学学者，于2025年12月26日在美国华盛顿特区安然辞世，享年93岁。

易新农教授1932年1月8日出生于湖南省湘乡县，自幼家境坎坷，却始终不懈求学。1956年考入中山大学中文系并于1960年毕业留校任教，此后长期从事外国文学和东西方比较文学教学与研究，是中国较早推动比较文学研究的重要学者之一。

其代表著作包括：《外国文学（西方部分）》、《东方文学史》（合著）、《世界比较文学发展史》（合著）等，其中《外国文学（西方部分）》长期被用作高校经典教材。他还发表过多篇跨文化比较研究论文，晚年致力于学人传记写作，著有《叶启芳传》、《容庚传》、《近代藏书家王礼培》等。

在六十余年的教学生涯中，易新农教授治学严谨、为人挚诚，深受学生喜爱。他的课生动而富于启发，重视培养学生的思想高度与精神追求，并热心帮助贫困学子，被许多学生视为人生道路上的引路人。

在家中，他是一位慈爱而宽厚的父亲。他始终以自由、理想与正直为人生信念，鼓励子女独立思考、勇敢前行，其思想与品格，将成为家人和学生珍贵的精神遗产。

追悼会已于2026年1月4日上午11时在**DeVol Funeral Home（2222 Wisconsin Ave NW, Washington DC）**举行，7日上午10时在维吉尼亚州的国家殡仪馆进行遗体火化告别仪式。易教授的骨灰将于春暖花开的时候下葬于华盛顿特区的橡树山墓园。

在此，家属谨向长期以来关心、支持易新农教授的亲友、同事、学生致以诚挚的感谢。您们的关心与情谊，让我们在深切的悲痛中倍感温暖。愿以此感谢之辞，寄托我们由衷的感激之情。

妻 王剑虹

女 易丹缨 婿 麦克尼可拉斯 外孙 易湘威

儿 易丹轩 媳 胡馨匀 孙 易礼蔚