Dominick P. Consolo, Ph.D.

Professor Emeritus and professional jazz trumpeter, Dominick P. Consolo, 93, of Granville, passed away Friday, August 28, 2015 at Kendal at Granville. He was born in Ridgway, Pennsylvania to the late Nicola and Marietta Vigilone Consolo.

Dom found his way to Miami University of Ohio in order to join the “Campus Owls,” Miami’s big band, as a trumpet player and music major. After his freshman year, Dom enlisted in the World War II Army Air Corps where he was assigned to the Air Corps band stationed in Bermuda. During his three and half years of service, he discovered literature through reading “Look Homeward Angel” by Thomas Wolfe, and when he returned to Miami, he completed both his undergraduate and Masters degrees in English. He continued to play trumpet on the road with the likes of Gene Krupa and Ina Rae Hutton. He would later earn his Ph.D. in English from The University of Iowa.

He accepted his first teaching job at Denison University in 1958 and remained at Denison until he retired in 1992. During his years at Denison, Dom continued to play trumpet both in the community and with Denison’s Jazz Band. He won teaching awards and a Fulbright Lectureship to teach English at the University of Tel Aviv.

Dom will be remembered for his dynamic teaching style, his passion for literature, and his ability to engage his students, many of whom credit him with changing their lives. According to his student Michael Eisner, formerly CEO of Disney, Dom’s style of teaching was the basis for the movie “Dead Poets Society.” After his retirement, the Dominick P. Consolo professorial chair was established by Eisner in Dom’s honor.

Surviving are his wife Susan Richardson; daughters and son-in-law, Dr. Kitty Consolo and Barry Allman and Nancy Consolo; former son-in-law, Habib El-Khoury; grandchildren, Layla and Yasmine El-Khoury; step children and their spouses, Chris and Liz Rifas Klopp, Jennifer Starr Klopp, and Andrew and Kathy Sayko Klopp; step grandchildren, Charles, Patrick, and Eva Klopp; brother and sister-in-law, James and Janice Consolo; sister-in-law, Janice Kaufman Heter.

In addition to his parents, Dom is preceded in death by his first wife, Jeanne Kaufman Consolo, who died in 1991, and his brother, Sam.

A memorial celebration will be held at 10:30 A.M. on October 10, 2015 at Swasey Chapel on the campus of Denison University with Rev. Dr. Stephen H. Applegate and Rev. Dwight Davidson as celebrants. A private graveside service will be held at College Cemetery.

Memorial contributions may be made to Denison University Scholarship Fund, P.O. Box 716, Granville, Ohio 43023; The University of Iowa Foundation, P.O. Box 4550, Iowa City, Iowa 52244; or The Miami Fund, Murstein Alumni Center, 725 E. Chestnut St., Oxford, Ohio 45056. Please include Dominick’s name on your contribution.

Arrangements are in the care of McPeek-Hoekstra Funeral Home in Granville. Online condolences may be expressed at www.mcpeekhoekstra.com.

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