Victor P. Rislow

SELINSGROVE — Victor P. Rislow, of Selinsgrove, associate professor of music at Susquehanna University, died on Dec. 20, 2005, at Evangelical Community Hospital, Lewisburg. He was 64. The cause of death was complications from treatment for lung cancer. Victor Phillip Rislow III was born March 16, 1941, in Newark, N.J., a son of the late Victor P. and Nell (Dallas) Rislow. He was raised in Martinsville, Va., a place for which he held lifelong fondness, and was a 1959 graduate of Martinsville High School. Mr. Rislow taught at Susquehanna University for 35 years and was the longest-tenured member of the music department at the time of his death. During his career he taught trumpet, as well as other brass instruments, started and directed the S.U. Jazz Ensemble, and served as a guest conductor, adjudicator and clinician at high school jazz festivals and competitions. In addition to his dedicated teaching, Mr. Rislow had extensive performance experience as a trumpeter in a wide range of musical settings. Throughout his time in the Susquehanna Valley he gave recitals, played in the Susquehanna Valley Chorale, the Central Penn Wind Band, and several jazz groups. Mr. Rislow was a founding member of the Commonwealth Brass Quintet, formed in 1981 by faculty members from several schools in Pennsylvania to promote the performance of brass chamber music. Mr. Rislow also studied with Rolf Smedvig of the Empire Brass Quintet, and studied and performed at the Tanglewood Music Center in Lenox, Massachusetts. He was a member of the International Trumpet Guild. Mr. Rislow’s interest in the trumpet was incubated by his band director at Martinsville High School, Ralph Shank. Following his graduation from the University of Kentucky with a bachelor of music degree, where he studied with R. Bernard Fitzgerald, Mr. Rislow continued his music studies at The Cleveland Institute of Music, where he worked with James Levine. He was strongly influenced by Adolph “Bud” Herseth, the principal trumpet player with the Chicago Symphony for 53 years, who emphasized the trumpet’s ability to “tell a story” and its mimicry of human vocal intonations, and by Donald P. Bullock at Western Michigan University, where Mr. Rislow earned a master of music degree in trumpet performance. He taught at public and private schools in Kentucky, Ohio and Michigan before joining the Susquehanna University faculty in 1970. He had also taught at Western Michigan, Bucknell University and West Virginia Institute of Technology. As a jazz player, his influences were wide, but his sound has been compared to the cool, lithe expressiveness of Chet Baker. Mr. Rislow was an avid athlete throughout his life. He served as tennis pro at the Susquehanna Valley Country Club from 1976 to 1979, founded the Susquehanna University cycling club, was an enthusiastic cross country skier and canoeist, and was a dedicated golfer throughout his life, playing at the Susquehanna Valley Country Club and at Shade Mountain. At quieter times he played chess and was a member of a local chess club. He was ranked in the top 100 chess players over 50 in Pennsylvania with a rating of 1244. Mr. Rislow was a dedicated and generous teacher, whether it was the trumpet, jazz or classical music, tennis, cycling or any of his other pursuits. He read voraciously, especially non-fiction. He enjoyed sharing his enthusiasm with others with similar interests and was passionate in doing so. Mr. Rislow is survived by one daughter, son-in-law and grandson, Margaret, Douglas and Frank Pugliese of New York City, N.Y.; one sister, Nell Rislow of Tallahassee, Fla.; and by his companion, Patricia Bettger of Mechanicsburg. He was preceded in death by one brother, Kyle D. Rislow. A memorial service for Mr. Rislow will be held at 4:30 p.m. on Jan. 17, 2006, in Stretansky Hall in the Cunningham Music and Arts Building at Susquehanna University. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Victor P. Rislow III Scholarship Fund, Development Office, Susquehanna University, 514 University Ave., Selinsgrove, PA 17870. Arrangements are under the care of V.L. Seebold Funeral Home, 601 N. High St., Selinsgrove.
This obituary was originally published in The Daily Item.