Nicolas Van De Walle

Nicolas van de Walle, exceptional and irreplaceable husband, father, brother, friend and scholar, passed away on July 15, 2024 after 67 years of a life well lived.

Nicolas was born on June 25, 1957 in Brussels. His childhood was spent in Belgium, Burundi, and the United States. From early years he was a voracious reader, a sensitive friend, and a curious traveler. His fondest memories from his youth included big family gatherings, vacations and wanderings with his sister and brothers, competitive tennis matches, and discovering rock and roll.

He attended college at the University of Pennsylvania, completed his masters at the London School of Economics and Political Science and then worked in Brussels at the European Community and Tunisia with the United Nations. During this period, he met the great companion and love of his life, Michèle. He long appreciated her intellect, her humor, her energy in any and every situation, and the sense of unity and grounding that they gave one another.

Michèle and Nicolas raised two daughters, Nadia and Juliette, across East Lansing, Michigan, Washington, DC, and Ithaca, New York. He was utterly devoted to his children and took immense joy in raising them - ever present, endlessly patient, profoundly loving, and always encouraging. He imparted deep passions through shared explorations - book series, playlists, recipes, sports, and art. He consistently brought his family brightness and laughter- whether adding a glass of port to a late night poker game, suggesting one more episode of a Jane Austen miniseries, adding escargots as an appetizer, or taking “the back roads” on a drive. He offered wisdom constantly…  “il faut de tout pour faire un monde;” “to win you gotta take shots;” “le meilleur est l'ennemi du bien;” and “less is more!” when writing.

He excelled in his political science career, graduating with a PhD from Princeton, and eventually specializing in comparative politics at Michigan State University in 1990 and then Cornell University beginning in 2004. His teaching and research focuses on the political economy of development, with a special focus on Africa; on democratization, and on the politics of economic reform. He was accomplished and influential; holding an endowed professorship, serving as director of the Mario Einaudi Center for International Studies and as Associate Dean for International Studies at Cornell, receiving the G.M. Luebbert Prize of the American Political Science Association for the best book in comparative politics and the African Politics Conference Group Distinguished Africanist Award, and writing the "Africa" book review section for Foreign Affairs for 20 years. He was generous with his time throughout, mentoring and supporting a large community of scholars, and known for humility, wisdom, and collaboration. Looking back at his career recently, he said “I loved every second of it.”

In recent years, he took great joy in his three grandchildren - traveling with them to Costa Rica and Corsica, playing tickle monster, encouraging fossil searches, and reading Tintin. He and Michèle thoroughly enjoyed building a haven on Cayuga Lake - regaling visitors with their garden, lake views, walks, his cooking, and local wines. He maintained an incredible orchard and was quick to share hot sauce or jam from the yard. He deeply valued his siblings and extended family, looking forward to reunions, long conversations, and regular phone calls with them. He found immense happiness in regularly playing tennis, fishing, puzzles, and rooting for Arsenal and his beloved Michigan State Spartans.

His legacy includes his deeply connected family of which he was so proud, his scholarship, and a community of impactful students and colleagues. He will forever be remembered as kind, thoughtful and considerate on any topic, and as an optimist, even in the most challenging of circumstances. He is loved, he is eternal.

A celebration of life will be held at a later date. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.