Alan Canfora wouldn’t like a teary obituary. He didn’t like mawkishness, particularly sentimental descriptions of his decadeslong dedication to righting the wrongs of what he called the National Guard’s “intentional massacre” of four Kent State University students on May 4, 1970.

Canfora, who spearheaded the 50-year-long movement for social justice at Kent State and died at 71 on Dec. 20, would have been uncomfortable with the countless encomiums he has received on Facebook over the past several weeks.