Lavon Rasco passed away Feb. 11 in Columbus, OH, following a stroke. He was born in Polkville, MS on July 13, 1927. After serving in the U.S. Navy toward the end of World War II he attended the University of Mississippi, where he met his future wife, Kay Frances Dilworth, and earned a BA and MA in English Literature. He then attended the prestigious Iowa Writers' Workshop and married. He and his wife obtained their Ph.D.'s in English Literature at Northwestern University.
After teaching at Western Illinois University for four years he joined the faculty of De Paul University and taught there until 1990, interspersed with two years in Cairo, Egypt, where he and Kay taught at the American University in Cairo 1969-71. They returned to Cairo 1977-8 when he received a Fulbright Fellowship and taught at Ain Shams University. Concurrent with his career at De Paul, he wrote and edited text books for Coyne Technical Institute in Chicago, an outlet for his amazingly diverse talents. In 1989 he and Kay bought Sarah Bustle Antiques in Evanston and operated it until 2002. Partly due to Lavon's exquisite refinishing of fine lighting and antiques, the store won the Readers' Choice Award for best antique store in North Shore Magazine.
After the death of his beloved wife of 53 years in 2004, Professor Rasco moved to Columbus, OH, where he resumed writing short stories. He began life with hard farm work during the Great Depression, fulfilled himself professionally, often sacrificed personally for his family, and traveled the world as he had dreamed of doing as a child behind a mule-drawn plow.
He is survived by daughters, Francine Rasco (Chip Elliott) of Columbus, OH and Karen Rasco (David Wilhelm) of Evanston; son, Manfred Ray Sr. of Skokie; grandson, Manfred Ray Jr.(Marcella Bicoff) of Highland Park; granddaughter, Jennifer Ray (Becca Cragin) of Toledo, OH; and grandchildren, Isabella and Max Ray and Max Cragin.
Arrangements by Rutherford-Corbin Funeral Home, Worthington, OH. Condolences and memories may be sent to:www.rutherfordfuneralhomes.com
Chicago Tribune. Chicago, Ill.: Mar 3, 2009. pg. 23
Byrne Hall
The Academy building was turned over to DePaul University, and renamed Byrne Hall. Bygone DePaul | Special Collections & Archives
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