Michael Patrick O'Connor, a leading specialist in the Semitic languages, 
especially Hebrew, died Saturday, June 16. His first book, *Hebrew Verse 
Structure* (Winona Lake, Ind.: Eisenbrauns, 1980), transformed the 
linguistic description of Biblical Hebrew poetic language. *Introduction to 
the Syntax of Biblical Hebrew*, co-authored with Bruce K. Waltke, is a 
standard textbook. An immensely generous scholar, he mentored numerous 
younger scholars in several disciplines. At the time of his death he was 
Chair of the Semitics department at Catholic University of America, 
Washington, D.C.