Seven Hills School - In Memoriam: Bob Turansky

IN MEMORIAM: BOB TURANSKY “It is without question that my dad had a profound impact on the lives of his students throughout his

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alumni community that he was in hospice care are a testament to that fact. Anyone who had the privilege exceptional father. My fondest childhood memories center around our ‘adventures in dining’ throughout beach, and watching movies at the theater — he was especially fond of action-packed blockbusters. He about football at great length, particularly about his beloved LSU Tigers. My dad wasn’t one for showing close because I am an only child, and nothing will ever replace the bond that we shared. I will miss him B•2000 BO

in New Orleans, which he considered his homeland, and he returned there summer after summer to stay connected to friends and family. As a father, Bob was the epitome of a loving and loyal parent, and he and his only child Rachel enjoyed the closest of bonds.

LOUIS BENJAMIN “BOB” TURANSKY DIED ON NOV. 19 AFTER A LONG ILLNESS. BOB TAUGHT AT SEVEN HILLS, WHERE HE SERVED AS CHAIR OF THE HISTORY DEPARTMENT, FROM 1986 TO 20 1 1, WHEN HE STEPPED DOWN AND CONTINUED TO TEACH PART TIME UNTIL HIS RETIREMENT IN 2018. A CORNELL UNIVERSITYEDUCATED HISTORIAN, HE BROUGHT TO THE CLASSROOM AN ENERGY AND PASSION THAT DREW STUDENTS TO THE DISCIPLINE.

Before Seven Hills, he taught at Cornell for five years while he was working on his doctorate.

From there he went to Lake Forest Academy in Illinois, where he taught and chaired the History Department for six years.

He was legendary among generations of students, a number of whom, inspired by his demanding standards, went on to distinguished academic careers in history and political science. Over the years, he kept in touch with many of them and routinely hosted former students on seasonal breaks in his home — 32

to catch up and to dive deeper into the passion of history.

Both inside and outside the classroom, he was an activist. A Seven Hills School magazine profile of Bob once noted that he identified “as a socialist, feminist, and humanist.” In the 1960s he joined Students for a Democratic Society and was active in resisting the U.S. war on Vietnam. And more recently, he celebrated the return of socialism to mainstream political discourse in the U.S. and joined the Democratic Socialists of America.

Bob projected a gruff persona, but the twinkle in his eye was the purposeful betrayal of the underlying and profound compassion he held for his students, for his beloved dogs, and for all animals, especially elephants.

Though Bob spent the last 35 years in Cincinnati, he was born and raised

Students will remember him as a teacher whose challenges and guidance often changed the course of their lives. Colleagues will remember him as a distinguished scholar who left an indelible mark. And his friends and family will simply miss him dearly.

He is survived by a daughter, Rachel Finn, son-in-law Eric Finn, grandsons Jacob and Zachary Finn, former wife Julia Turansky, sister Tanya Tuman, and brother-in-law Dan Tuman.

In honor of Bob’s love of animals, friends may make a donation to the SPCA of Cincinnati at give.spcacincinnati.org.

THERE WILL BE A CELEBRATION OF BOB'S LIFE ON SATURDAY, JAN. 29 AT 1 P.M. AT SEVEN HILLS IN THE LOBBY OF THE SCHIFF CENTER. PLEASE RSVP BY JAN.21 TO ATTEND IN PERSON OR VIA ZOOM TO MARGO.KIRSTEIN @7HILLS.ORG AND SPECIFY IF ATTENDING IN PERSON OR OVER ZOOM. DETAILS WILL BE PROVIDED UPON RSVP.

of taking one of his classes knew what an exceptional teacher he was. But to me he was an even more Cincinnati, playing ‘Yahtzee’ on the front porch, summers spent in New Orleans, countless trips to the loved his grandsons, Jake and Zach, and was so pleased to have a son-in-law with whom he could talk

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teaching career. The countless messages that were received after Seven Hills shared the news with the

many emotions, but he always ended our phone calls with, ‘I love you.’ I think we were particularly for the rest of my life, and I know I’m not the only one.” - Rachel Turansky Finn ’96

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BOB & RACHEL

“ Bob Turansky was a large man.

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He was large in voice as I can attest, having had a classroom across from his, back in the day.

He was large in intellect, always thinking clearly and critically and urging his students to do the same.

He was a large presence in the Cincinnati community, taking an active role in rallies in Cincinnati.

During our lunchtime conversations, he was the one who brought the social perspective into my more scientific point of view.

So, for those of us who knew him, Bob's death is a loss, an immense loss.”

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For his students, he demonstrated how to reach for answers beyond the limitations of a set curriculum. I remember the honor of being invited into one of his history classes to try to clarify an astronomy concept.

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“Nobody who knew Bob Turansky will forget the riveting lectures, delivered at high decibel levels (his classroom in the new school had been given extra soundproofing). No student will forget the unyielding challenge of his classes. But, then there was how he felt about animals — his dogs — your dogs, anybody’s dogs. And otters — and elephants. Somewhere there is a photograph, taken by a student on a day when he had deserted a faculty celebration to return to his classroom on the promise that he could see a nearly newborn lamb that a friend of the School had brought over from Lotspeich after a class visit. In the photograph, Bob is sitting quietly in the empty classroom, smiling down at the small brown creature, asleep in his lap. He stayed there with the sleeping lamb for a long time after school was out. That, too, is who he was.”

- David Abineri, retired Upper School science and math teacher and science department chair

- Sandy Smythe, retired Upper School English teacher and English department chair

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BOB & WYNNE CURRY 1992

“I knew Bob from day one, the day we began our teaching careers at Seven Hills, in August of 1986. My initial impressions of him were not favorable, as he seemed a bit remote, supercilious even. One afternoon in late August, I was walking to Founders Hall and heard the most alarming yelling and shrieking, and I couldn’t imagine what could possibly have prompted such an outburst from a teacher, and a new one, no less. Over time, however, we came to be friends, partly due to our shared love of music from the 60s and 70s (Bruce Springsteen, Mark Knopfler, to name a few), and because we shared thoughts on the culture of Seven Hills, especially among the faculty, staff, and administration. Gradually, I came to realize what a gifted, brilliant, and dedicated teacher and mentor he was to so many students. Everyone found a place in his classroom during lunch and after school, and many found a place in his home, discussing history, philosophy, politics, and college football, often late into the night. Bob remained true to his principles throughout his life. We will remember all that he brought to our school community and will treasure the life lessons he taught us.”

- Wynne Curry, retired Upper School French teacher, world languages department chair, and longtime college counselor

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- Eric Ruder ’88

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“Our alums tell Bob stories — about being showered by spit when he was in the midst of a passionate argument about the French Revolution or watching as he once shattered a classroom window BO with an out-flung arm, his enthusiasm for Martin Luther’s courage imprinted on their minds forever. They tell about learning to dissect an argument as cleanly as you might dissect a frog. They tell about learning to create an argument as tightly as you might construct a geodesic dome.

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Later, I came to call him Bob. We read books together. We met up whenever I was back in town. Bob was playful, yet serious; gruff, yet caring; unwavering in his commitment to understanding the world in order to change it. And he had a great laugh. After my parents, there’s no person who made a bigger impact on the direction of my life. Bob helped me feel connected to a long line of freedom fighters. The world needs more Bobs. I will miss him dearly.”

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“The kids always know. They know who opens their minds, who stretches what they thought were their limits, who teaches them to meet, head on, the wisdom of the ages. And they cherish forever the imagination-stretching, intellect-expanding, life-changing experience it was to be taught by Bob.

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“The first time I met Mr. Turansky I hadn’t even met him yet. I just heard his voice booming through the building. My eyes got big. I was a little terrified that he would soon be my teacher. On one of my first days in his class, he spit on an empty desk in the front row and rubbed it in (gross!) to illustrate his point: ‘ The Fuggers [German venture capitalists of the 15th century] didn’t care about the peasantry — unless they made them richer.’ Now my eyes got big for a different reason. History isn’t just memorizing facts, dates, and names.

History is about the struggle to be free. It’s the contest between the wealthy and powerful on the one hand, and the people they exploit on the other. And history didn’t just happen ‘way back when.’ We’re living it. Right. Now.

“They talk about how Bob woke them up to the majesty and complexity that are history and philosophy, and they tell these Bob stories for the rest of their lives.

“Now, inconceivably, he’s gone. But those of us who, as friends and colleagues, inhabited Seven Hills spaces with him will carry to our own graves indelible memories of what it meant to share classrooms and students and conversations and dog stories with him for so many wonderful years.”

- Susan Marrs, Assistant Head of School and director of college counseling