By Ian Neligh
Roger Allen Kotoske, 77, of Champaign, Ill., and Silver Plume was found in his Champaign home on Nov. 19, 2010, after dying of a heart attack a few days earlier.
Born in 1933 to Michael and Louise Kotoske, he was raised in South Bend, Ind., where he attended Catholic schools and Notre Dame University before moving to Denver to earn a bachelor of fine arts and master of arts in fine arts from the University of Denver.
An award-winning, nationally recognized abstract painter and sculptor, he was also a professor of fine arts at the University of Denver from 1958 to 1968 and at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, from 1968 until his retirement as professor emeritus in 1977. A dedicated, exceptional teacher, he was popular with his students and left a lasting impact on many.
His artworks are held in more than 100 private collections and were publicly shown at the James Yu Gallery in New York City; the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C.; the University of Illinois, Urbana and Gilman Galleries in Chicago; in Denver at The Gallery, Denver Art Museum and Art Yard; the Rockhill Nelson Gallery in Kansas City; and countless other venues. Pieces on current display can be seen in the lobby at the Krannert Center for Performing Arts in Urbana, Ill., and in Denver at the Kirkland Museum and Burns Park.
Roger’s love for nature included fishing, hiking, bird watching and spending his summers in the old mining town of Silver Plume. He was married twice, to Joan and the late Helen Kotoske, and he survived his most recent long-term partner, Sarita Levin. He is missed and lovingly remembered by his daughter, Tamar Kathleen Tomson; five brothers, Donald, Jerome, Thomas, Brian and David Kotoske and their families; and his many friends throughout the country.
Memorial celebrations are scheduled for June 16 and 18, 2011, in Colorado. For details, contact kotoske.memorial@gmail.com. Donations may be made to your local Audubon Society.
