Madeleine Cottenet Hage, of Bethesda, passed away on June 17 after a long struggle against lung cancer. She was 87.
Born in Metz, France, in 1933 to a Jewish mother and a Catholic father, Madeleine set great value on biculturalism. She was educated in France, earning not only a doctorate but passed the highly competitive agrégation degree for university teaching.
She migrated to the United States in 1966 after marrying Jerald Hage. She taught French literature at the University of Maryland until she retired. She received the scholar teacher award from the University of Maryland and Palmes Academiques from the government of France. In retirement, she started a French discussion group on francophone literature with some 35 multiethnic, French-speaking participants at the Connie Morella Public Library in Bethesda from 2007 until 2021.
She is survived by her husband, Jerry; the couple’s two children, Martin and Rebecca (husband, Adam Guyot); Madeleine’s three granddaughters, Emma, Julia and Genna; and her great-grandson, Jackson. Donations can be made to organizations helping the poor.
