  Chalu64 Member Username: Chalu64 Post Number: 28 Registered: 08-2005 Posted From: 68.40.108.8 |
Dr. Dorothy Kostuch, one of the most influential professors ever to grace halls at CCS, has passed away. I am blessed to have been one of the lucky ones to have taken one of her architectural survey/art history classes offered at the college. She will be missed. | ||
Leoqueen Member Username: Leoqueen Post Number: 865 Registered: 07-2004 Posted From: 69.221.36.169 |
Dr.Dorothy was the strongest person I knew. She battled gamely against the cancer that ultimately took her away, but you never saw her without a lilt in her step or a smile on her face. She was the absolute HEART of the College for Creative Studies. I miss her terribly already. I cant imagine going back to work and not seeing her in her office. All of us are lucky who were fortunate to work with or study with her. | ||
Smogboy Member Username: Smogboy Post Number: 1496 Registered: 11-2004 Posted From: 68.84.183.189 |
Twenty years ago was the time when she first broke out at CCS and started teaching the Historical Documentation class. Dr. Dorothy was the person who took Art History out of a darkened room with slides and into reality. The class went to the Our Lady of the Rosary church (appropriately where the services will be held) and did the documentation to the church's artwork, architecture and historical documentation. The year after she took her class to the Cass Avenue Methodist Church in the heart of the corridor. Some of the students worked the soup kitchen there and I still remember some of her students running into the building next door that had caught fire & rescued some of the people in there. Dr. Dorothy also gave tours of the historic Detroit churches as well as famed areas like Boston Edison (I couldn't keep up with the woman!). She worked tirelessly with CCS' accreditation recently and was a beacon of strength not only to her students but to her colleagues as well. She was also instrumental in helping install little subtle things like the Peace Poles on the CCS campus and was seen many a times out pruning the rose bushes in front of the Security Office at CCS. She also took on monumental projects like the CCS Centennial among her other causes on campus. She was the rock and pillar of that community. She also told me about her immediate resolution to have her name inscribed on the monument to commemorate the Underground Railroad and how important it was for her to celebrate freedom. I still remember seeing her marching around the fountains at the DIA years ago when people protested the state cuts to arts funding. Her causes were just. Her heart was as pure as gold itself. Not only has CCS lost its liberal arts chairperson, but the entire community has lost an angel that walked among us. While she might physically be gone, her spirit will always remain within all of us who knew her. | ||
Gravitymachine Member Username: Gravitymachine Post Number: 712 Registered: 05-2005 Posted From: 68.255.242.100 |
wow. I never had her as a proffessor, but knew who she was. A very wonderful person indeed. | ||
Lowell Board Administrator Username: Lowell Post Number: 2097 Registered: 10-2003 Posted From: 66.167.58.137 |
Dr. Dorothy is dear to us too. In fact she was godmother to my wife and high school classmate of my mother in law. A former nun, she left that way of life but, as others demonstrate above, not her mission in life nor her simple non materialistic existence. She never had a car and fearlessly took buses everywhere is spite being a tiny woman. Her dedication to her work was inexhaustible and her actions during the Archdiocise's cut backs was instrumental in saving the lovely Romanesque style Our Lady of the Rosary that sits astride the I-94 at Woodward. I am pleased that others would recognize this quiet hero; it would make her smile. At an increasingly bureaucratic and heartless CCS she was a counter spirit. During her battle with cancer, as a long time resident or the Park Shelton Apts., she faced the additional struggle of eviction in face of the condo-ization of the structure. While she held on, the stress of uncertainty could not have helped. RIP Dr. Dorothey Kostuch, you are fondly remembered. | ||
Lowell Board Administrator Username: Lowell Post Number: 2102 Registered: 10-2003 Posted From: 66.167.58.137 |
Regarding Our Lady Of The Rosary see Andrew's PDJ link to it today. Coincidence? | ||
Mauser765 Member Username: Mauser765 Post Number: 575 Registered: 01-2004 Posted From: 4.229.117.147 |
As she was known to students who attempted to keep up with her on her European class trips: "The Blond Blur"... | ||
Dhugger Member Username: Dhugger Post Number: 11 Registered: 03-2005 Posted From: 66.167.58.137 |
I am touched by all the above posts to learn how Dr. Dorothy impacted other folks in the Detroit community. To echo Smogboy's post above Dr. Dorothy's positive impact on Detroit will allow us to carry her spirit forward. Visititation: 12/28/05 Peters Fun. Home / Mack & 8 mile in Grosse Point Woods 3 - 9 pm Funeral: 12/29/05 - 9:30 am visitation - 10 am funeral @ Holy Rosary on Woodward North of 94. Dr. Dorothy you will be missed. Peace. | ||
Smogboy Member Username: Smogboy Post Number: 1500 Registered: 11-2004 Posted From: 68.84.183.189 |
From the most recent CCS catalog here is a great interview with Dr. Dorothy that typifies her commitment to the school, the arts, the city, its architecture, and the bigger picture that she always tried to teach us about. http://www.ccscad.edu/study/co re/liberal/interview She will most sorely be missed by all those that knew her. | ||
Leoqueen Member Username: Leoqueen Post Number: 870 Registered: 07-2004 Posted From: 64.12.116.195 |
Smogboy, what are we going to do without her? I am going to have a tremendously hard time going back to school, passing by her office with her not there, faculty meetings without her input. She worked practically up to the last minute....she was so dedicated to CCS, especially now with both the Centennial AND the accreditation process next spring. And her sense of humor! No more drag races in the hall, her shopping cart vs mine.... | ||
Smogboy Member Username: Smogboy Post Number: 1503 Registered: 11-2004 Posted From: 68.84.183.189 |
It was a nice ceremony for Dr. Dorothy today. It wasn't too stuffy & Father Moran (I believe that was his name) gave a thoughtful, inspiring and evocative sermon. He pointed out some of the highlights of how Dr. Dorothy lived her life in harmony with the church & city she loved so much. There were members of the community, friends, CCS students and staff (better attended than any faculty meeting) in attendance all across the room. It was solemn and yet not too preachy. Afterwards we gathered back in the atrium of the WB Ford Building and had a light meal where Dr. Dorothy's nephew thanked us all for being a part of Dr. Dorothy's family. Well, her family grieves & mourns her departure. She will be greatly missed by all. She touched us all with her quiet dignity and strength. For a tiny woman, she cast a long shadow that has touched us all that knew her. Her spirit will go on. | ||
Leoqueen Member Username: Leoqueen Post Number: 871 Registered: 07-2004 Posted From: 69.221.36.169 |
I wish I could have been there; I had doctor's appointments for me and Kate today. We went to the visitation last night....it was the same there. CCS people and family reminiscing. Smogboy, you are a poet. You described her essence perfectly. | ||
Smogboy Member Username: Smogboy Post Number: 1504 Registered: 11-2004 Posted From: 68.84.183.189 |
Me? Poetry?? HA! You'll have to blame James Goldwasser on that one- God rest his soul too. There have been far too many good CCS people passing on over the last few years. | ||
Kathleen Member Username: Kathleen Post Number: 1055 Registered: 10-2003 Posted From: 69.14.122.57 |
I have no ties to CCS but have been totally interested in its origins as the Society of Arts and Crafts School and how it survives and grows to this day, enabling artists to learn and thrive in our city. Also, my son is interested in attending CCS after he graduates from high school this June (we'll see....). Anyways, I really enjoyed all of your posts about Dr. Dorothy Kostuch. She sounds like a wonderful teacher and mentor!! I read her interview and was especially interested in her comment about a book she was working on: "Since Ecclesiastical Architecture is my specialty, I focused in on Detroit’s historic churches and have in preparation a book on Detroit’s architecture and the history of the churches and the city." Anybody know whether this book was nearing publication? Was she working with anyone? It would be a shame for her research to go unshared. | ||
Chalu64 Member Username: Chalu64 Post Number: 29 Registered: 08-2005 Posted From: 68.40.108.8 |
Smogboy, i'm wondering who you are. I think I know, but give me a hint... And yes, as Leoqueen mentioned, you did an incredible job of describing our feelings for Dr. Dorothy. Off the subject....did Kitty Green pass this week,too? | ||
Leoqueen Member Username: Leoqueen Post Number: 874 Registered: 07-2004 Posted From: 152.163.100.195 |
Wait a minute, Chalu84.....was Kitty that bad? I havent seen her for a while, but knew that she had an ailment | ||
Leoqueen Member Username: Leoqueen Post Number: 875 Registered: 07-2004 Posted From: 152.163.100.195 |
The last I saw of her, she was participating in painting classes in an open studio situation in my building. But that had closed down about 18months ago | ||
Leoqueen Member Username: Leoqueen Post Number: 877 Registered: 07-2004 Posted From: 205.188.116.201 |
Chalu84, please email me...i need to know definitely about Kitty! Click on my name to email me | ||
Lowell Board Administrator Username: Lowell Post Number: 2106 Registered: 10-2003 Posted From: 66.167.58.137 |
It was a nice subdued, non traditional Catholic funeral. It was the first time I was ever in that church, nice stained glass but otherwise very austere. The pews were gone, only individual chairs remaining and no kneeling boards which makes me wonder how a mass could be held with all its rapid kneeling. Now I read this, I am sorry I didn't get to meet those who were there. I saw a lot of people I know from the art community. I spent a lot of time talking with Robert Scheffman and Tom Phardel incase any of you wondered who the third person was. | ||
Dhugger Member Username: Dhugger Post Number: 12 Registered: 03-2005 Posted From: 66.167.58.137 |
To Leoqueen & Chalu64: Sadly, Kitty passed away on December 24th. Her memorial service is planned for Sunday, January 15th at the Royal Oak Women's club, 404 S. Pleasant St. (corner of 6th) at 2 pm. Kitty had been ill with cancer and this disease stole another from our creative community. To many angels in heaven tonight. | ||
Chalu64 Member Username: Chalu64 Post Number: 31 Registered: 08-2005 Posted From: 68.40.108.8 |
Thanks, Dhug | ||
56packman Member Username: 56packman Post Number: 2 Registered: 12-2005 Posted From: 129.9.163.106 |
Chalu 64, yes, we lost Kitty on the 24th. I am especially sad, having known her since we were teenagers. I will be at her memorial service on the 15th. |
