Bénédicte Marie-Christine Monicat passed away peacefully at home on February 17th. She died with a book on her chest with one of her beloved cats at her side. She was born on September 21st, 1962 in Nice, France to Pierre Monicat and Anne Monicat née Jannot. During her childhood, along with her siblings François, Hélène and Emmanuel (Manu) she lived in several locations while her father, today a retired general, served in the French Army. From an early age, she showed a passion for both reading and skiing behind her father in the Alps. As her talents in both were exceptional, she had a choice to make. She ultimately opted to pursue further education.  After earning her bachelor's degree from the Université Paris Sorbonne (Paris IV), she moved to the United States. Once in the Washington, DC area, she was encouraged to pursue graduate studies at the University of Maryland, where she earned her M.A. and Ph.D. There she also met her future husband. In the fall of 1990, the couple moved to Pennsylvania where she began a job at the Pennsylvania State University in the Department of French and Francophone Studies as a professor of 19th century French literature, women's writing and travel literature.

At Penn State, Bénédicte was instrumental in the development of women's, gender and sexuality studies. A brilliant and influential scholar, she taught generations of undergraduate and graduate students, designing innovative courses in French and Francophone Studies and Women's studies, and advised over a dozen PhD candidates. Her groundbreaking work features numerous articles, edited volumes, and books that include Itinéraires de l'écriture au féminin. Voyageuses du 19e siècle (1996), Devoirs d'écriture: Modèles d'histoires pour filles et littérature féminine au XIXe siècle (2006), and Aux frontières des savoirs: Écrits de femmes et livres d'instruction au XIXe siècle (2019). As an administrator, she led Penn State's Department of French and Francophone Studies to prominence by serving as Head of department from 2008-2013, and as acting head from 2017 to 2018, and from 2019 to 2020. More recently, she also served as Acting Head of The College of the Liberal Arts School of Global Languages, Literatures, and Cultures. In her thirty-five years at Penn State, Bénédicte received multiple grants and awards including the Most Inspiring Teacher Award (1993-1994),  the Most Premier Faculty Award (2006), the Outstanding Mentor Award (from Women in French, 2018), and the Service to the College Award (2021). An active member of Women In French, and Nineteenth-Century French Studies, she served on numerous editorial and advisory boards, and gave over 60 conference papers both nationally and internationally.

Bénédicte's magnetic personality touched everyone she met; her infectious smile and laughter will forever be remembered by all, including her family and her husband of 33 years. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that you consider donations to Centre County PAWS or Centre Safe. People are also invited to make donations to local organizations of their choosing.

A celebration of life service will take place on Friday, March 7, 2025 at 9:00am at the Pasquerilla Spiritual Center on the campus of Penn State, University Park. Parking is available nearby at the Nittany Lion Parking Deck.

Arrangements were entrusted to the Haky/Georgiana Centre County Funeral Home. An online guestbook may be signed and condolences left for the family at www.hakygeorgianafh.com.