In Memory

Richard Thorsen

Richard Pierce Thorsen, 68, beloved family-member, mentor, and businessman, passed away surrounded by his loving family and friends on Thursday, August 1, 2013.

Loving and proud father of Christie (Josh) Kosmach and Michael Pierce Thorsen, excited grandfather to be, dear brother of Robert Thorsen and Frances "Dolly" Schmitz. Soul mate and loving companion of Carmen Wilcox. He was born to Frances Pierce Thorsen and Robert A. Thorsen on May 12, 1945 and was a lifelong resident of Winnetka, Illinois.

Rich enrolled in undergraduate education at Northwestern University, where he graduated in 1967 with a B.S. in Business Administration. During his undergraduate education he served as President of the Phi Gamma Delta Fraternity ("FIJI") and remained a stalwart supporter of his chapter for over 40 years. In 1971, he earned his doctoral degree in law from Northwestern University and became a member of the Chicago, Illinois and American Bar Associations.

Rich had a long and distinguished career in banking throughout the Chicagoland area. An ardent supporter of growth and investment in local communities and businesses, he founded Ravenswood Bank in 1996 to serve the unmet demands of the Ravenswood and Lincoln Square communities in Chicago. His kindness, candor, and good humor forged an indelible impression on those he interacted with over the course of his career, and he served as a role-model and mentor to many individuals. In a 1997 article for the Chicago Tribune, he remarked "the fun is in creating something after perceiving a need and helping it grow."

Throughout his life, Rich espoused an unconditional compassion towards others and exhibited a true zest for creating fun and lasting memories. An avid skier, his prowess on the ski slopes spanned six decades, from setting the downhill course record at Arapahoe Basin as a youth, to traversing expert-only terrain well into his 60s. Equally as important was his passion for playing the trumpet and his profound devotion to music. A jazz enthusiast, Rich performed with the Old Man's Jazz Band for over three decades, served on the Dean's Advisory Board for the DePaul University School of Music, and was an annual fixture with the North End Bunco, Parchesi, and Weight Dropping Auxiliary Band in the city of Evanston's 4th of July Parade. He cherished the many rounds of golf, tennis matches, and friendly card-games he engaged in both at Westmoreland Country Club and during his travels with family. His engaging personality and skill at unleashing subtle humor at the most opportune time brought joy and laughter to many lives.

Family and friends will miss Rich's intellect, business acumen, exuberance for life, and personal mantra to "have fun." Sadness will soon be overshadowed by fond memories as we remember the innumerous ways in which Rich enriched our lives.

A Memorial Service will take place at 3:00 p.m. Monday, August 5, at Christ Church in Winnetka, 784 Sheridan Road.
Donations may be made in his name to Midwest Palliative Care Center, 2050 Clare Court, Glenview, IL 60025 or Northwestern University General Athletic Scholarship Fund, 1501 Central Street, Evanston, IL 60208.

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Remarks at service for Rich Thorsen
August 5, 2013 - from Allan Stern
 
I first met Rich Thorsen when we started sixth grade at Skokie Junior High School in Winnetka.  That was the fall of 1956, which makes it 57 years ago.
 
Our most immediate – and, as it turned out, most long lasting tie – was music.  Rich played trumpet and I played clarinet and saxophone.  We both grew to love jazz and this was the glue that held us together over the years.  From sixth grade through senior year in high school, Rich and I shared band and orchestra together.
 
In seventh grade Rich organized a dance band.   Alan Miller was one of the other trumpeters.   It met at Rich’s home, 45 Bertling Lane, in Winnetka, in the basement.   We weren’t very good, but then we were in junior high school.   In procuring songs for us to play (“charts,” in the jazz lingo), getting guys to show up regularly, planning and running rehearsals, Rich showed some of the organizational skills which served him in good stead for the rest of his life.
 
At New Trier High School Rich and I were in all the pit orchestras which played for every show.  New Trier’s musical and theater training was so good that we even formed our own troupe – called Summerset Players – and, with no adult support, produced and performed a full Broadway show each of the next three summers.  We put on The Pajama Game, L’il Abner and Girl Crazy.  Those were great memories.
 
There were a lot of clubs at New Trier and Rich and I were in the leadership of the Senior Music Club.  As I recall, I was secretary, and he was president.
 
One story which Rich loved to tell took place at the annual Christmas Festival concert at New Trier.  This was a very big deal, with all the choruses, plus junior and senior orchestra participating, and every student’s parents in attendance.  It was the very end of the concert with Dr. William Peterman, the school’s chair of music, leading the combined forces in the Hallulejah Chorus of Handel’s Messiah.  It was the climax of the piece with all the orchestra and chorus in full voice.
 
Rich told me that during the earlier movements, when the trumpets weren’t needed, he had been studying for a final exam the next day, and wasn’t paying close attention.  His mind was more on the upcoming exam.  As the piece neared its climax with the brass leading the way, he – and then the rest of the trumpet section -- increased the tempo.   Those of you who are musicians will know that orchestra members tend to follow the loudest instruments – the brass section -- and so of course the whole orchestra sped up, too. And the chorus followed the orchestra.  It had the feel of a runaway train, with the engineer not in control any more.   Despite the extremely dirty looks that Dr. Peterman gave to the trumpet section – especially the lead trumpet – the piece got faster and faster.  When it finally ended, to much applause from a clueless audience, Rich told me that if looks could kill, he would have never gotten out of there alive.
 
We went off to college, me to Williams, Rich to Brown and later Northwestern.  We weren’t as close during those years, naturally, but we remained good friends.   I joined the Peace Corps after Williams and spent two years teaching in Sierra Leone in West Africa.  I wrote numerous letters home and my mother faithfully – in the days before email – xeroxed them and sent them out to all my friends and relatives.  It was very lonely over there and communications from home were extremely important.  Rich was not very good about writing back during my first year overseas, and I eventually grew so frustrated that I told my mother to stop including him when sending out the letters.  I wrote Rich a separate letter telling him that I had dumped him from my recipient list.   Sure enough, ten days later I got a very newsy letter from him.  For years afterward, whenever there was a break in communications between us, he would kid me about “Are you disowning me again?”
 
After college, we continued our musical friendship by performing in many show orchestras together, at various theater groups around Chicago. 
 
Rich and I stayed friends over the years; we celebrated with each other as various marriages began and then consoled each other as they ended.   I was so pleased when he and Carmen got together and I saw how happy he was.  In turn, he gave my wife Susan advice when we were dating, and then played trumpet at our wedding.  
 
He was a great and loyal friend, and I will miss him very much.
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Thanks to classmate and Skokie Jr. High reunion organizer Peter Voysey for sending Rich's obituary.

 

 

 






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