Victor H. Flach, Jr., 91, died June 23, 2020, in Laramie, Wyoming.
Vic touched many lives with his always curious and grateful confluence of loving influences, exploring Universe as art professor, designer, photographer, problem poser, writer, and friend.
He was born May 31, 1929, in Portland, OR, the first of two sons of forestry service mapper Victor, Sr., and Eva Huget Flach. Except for two years during WWII when his father was on assignment in Washington D.C. and California, Vic attended public schools in Portland; with B.S. and M.F.A. degrees from the school of Architecture and Allied Arts, U. of Oregon, Eugene; and 6 years post-grad work at U. of Pittsburgh, PA.
Drafted despite his conscientious objection, he worked as an engineering draftsman and as an Army Radar operator in Korea and Japan. He studied with Buckminster Fuller during two prototype geodesic projects, was one of the first docents at Frank Lloyd Wright’s Fallingwater, and interviewed Ben Shahn for the Heritage Series on PBS TV. He edited, published, and exhibited art, photography, structures and writings in various international art literature journals and museums.
He taught all levels of drawing, painting, design, theory, iconography, and art history at the art department, U. of Wyoming, for 27 years, with sabbaticals to Greece and Europe, retiring Professor Emeritus in 1991. He designed 4 mural commissions in public buildings, including one of the 3-story mosaic tile murals in the U. of Wyoming classroom building, “Northwest Spiral.”
He was preceded in death by his parents; and is survived by his brother, Dr. Lewis H. Flach and many admiring nephews and nieces in the Portland area, forever friends, former students, and also by his life companion Judith H. McBride and her daughter, Michelle; Judith’s younger daughter Susan passed away in 2019.
Always apprehending, processing, and making forms parallel with Universe as it presented itself to him, Vic’s curiosity and penetrating thought challenged and inspired those around him.
“Wanting no ‘final resting place,’ best catch all good Zzzs while I can and then mix remains with respectful love’s fire, earth, water, winds.”
No memorials are pending.
