Service Details
Funeral services will be held on Saturday, December 17, 2022 at 6:00 p.m. in the Draeger Langendorf Funeral Home. A visitation will take place on Saturday from 4:00 p.m. until 6:00 p.m. at the funeral home. The family requests that those attending wear something purple, Dennis’s favorite color. Private interment will take place in Oakwood Cemetery, Somers.
Memorial Suggestions
The Bayuzick family has suggested memorials in Dennis’s name to the UW Parkside Library. Checks can be made payable to: UW Parkside Foundation, 900 Wood Road, Kenosha, Wisconsin 53144, or use the following link to donate:
Dennis G. Bayuzick, age 76, loving partner and father; renowned printer, artist, and professor of art, passed away on December 8, 2022.
Dennis was born in Homestead, PA on September 16, 1946, a son of the late Stephen and Elizabeth (nee: Bayuzik) Bayuzick.
He completed his liberal arts studies at Franklin and Marshall College, Lancaster, PA; his B.S. Art and his M.Ed. in Art Education from Edinboro State College, Edinboro, PA; his M.F.A. Painting from Ohio School of Art, Athens, OH; finally, his Comparative Art Studies in the Doctoral Program at Ohio University.
His professional career included working as an Art Instructor at Slippery Rock H.S., in Slippery Rock, PA, and as a Teaching Associate in Painting/Studio Foundations and a full-time visiting instructor in Painting and Drawing with the Ohio School of Art. For over 35 years Dennis taught a variety of studio art courses in painting, 2-D design, and drawing at UW Parkside, mentoring many aspiring art students to more personal and disciplined creativity. He was very proud of his equally long tenure as coordinator of Art Education at UW Parkside. During this time, he supervised many student teachers in local public schools, helping guide over 70 students to K-12 certification in Art, many of whom are now successful full-time art students.
He taught art teachers how to be teachers, placing them in community schools throughout the county, and supervised their progress. Dennis helped establish a generation of highly qualified educators that have held positions throughout the United States.
Since 1977, Dennis organized and hosted over 30 years of biennial high school art invitational shows as well as local art teacher exhibits for the UW Parkside galleries, fostering good community-university relations while developing recruitment potential by bringing many high school art students to campus to see their art on display.
In his own art, Dennis emphasized the symbolic potential of seemingly common still life arrangements, usually including a self- portrait strategically positioned somewhere in the composition, and generally favored the purple side of the color spectrum. Dennis encouraged his painting students by offering extra credit for attempting a challenging self- portrait in their own compositions. His still life paintings were developed as he completed the tasks he set out for his students.
Over the years, Dennis had been included in countless local, regional, and national juried invitational art exhibitions winning numerous awards. His airbrush paintings were published nationally in Airbrush Action magazine, and he also developed a full-fledged airbrush painting curriculum at Parkside, one of very few such programs in Wisconsin. He showed his artwork at the Joy Horwitz Gallery in Chicago as a surrealist, displaying his airbrush paintings.
In 1985, Dennis received a Fellowship Award mention from the Wisconsin Arts Board for outstanding achievement.
Survivors include his life partner Gabriela Pettit; his children, Alexander Z. (McKenzie) Pettit and Tetyana K. Pettit; his granddaughter, Anastasia Pettit-Delabio, and his siblings, Ronald (Dorothy) Bayuzick, Andrea “Cookie” (Dan) Sheldon, and Nancy (R L) Evans.
Chris dorf says
RIP Dennis. I held a lot of respect for your thinking. We had good conversations.
Chris
Rick Berns says
Going to miss you Dennis. Thank you for your instruction, guidance and friendship. I’ll miss listening to & sharing music. Especially Bob Dylan. Thanks for all the great memories.
Bernadette Gagliardi says
Gaba, I’m so sorry.
Thinking of you and the kids in the days to come.
Melanie Hovey says
I learned so much from Prof. Bayuzick back in the 1980s when I attended UW-Parkside. His stern critiques and impish smile went a long way in helping me become a decent painter. I’m forever grateful for his tutelage .
Scott Rench says
I spent many a night in the studio with Dennis listening to the Harmonic Choir. I loved his passion for the arts, he made my time at Parkside very memorable. Tonight I’ll be playing the Harmonic Choir on 11 my friend. My thoughts to Gaba, family and friends.
Connie Wolfe says
Wow, so saddened to hear of Dennis’ passing. He was my undergrad mentor many years ago and I still remember Bob Dylan flowing out of the painting room doors at 7 in the morning when I would arrive to work in the Library. Dennis would always say, “Well, I guess it’s time for me to go home to get some sleep” after spending all night there painting. Another fond memory was when Dennis and Gaba came to my thesis exhibition at Ohio University. While giving them a tour of the Ridges graduate studios, Dennis start critiquing random students that were working in their spaces. He was truly dedicated to art and education and will be greatly missed. My deepest condolences to Gaba, Alex, Tet and the rest of his family.
"Hugo" Eugene Goldthwaite says
Denny, A great friend , classmate, inspiration. Always asking the right question and pushing the envelope. A man of color inside and out. It’s a violet day
Tetyana Pettit says
Guardian, father, tato, grandpa, dadushka
Such a simple word,
Green eyes, strongest, simplest man
One syllable, 3 letters lots of ways,
An easy word for kids to say
To remember the good and the bad is just the beginning
To wish love to the end, and beyond,
I didn’t always call u dad,
I didn’t always know u well
U just showed up one-day wearing purple green red wool
Always warm
always smiling.
Always there when no one else was
Before a kiss and a drift to beyond
U made me lunches
thursdays we would have soup
Saturdays donuts
you’d tell me how it was truthfully
You’d tuck me in, and even share your love until I learned love yourself first that like a guardian father tato dadushka
Dad is what u earned
Love you beyond forever always
Gia Gutierrez says
I’m so saddened to learn that Professor Bayuzick has passed. I very much enjoyed being his student at Parkside and had the honor to see many of his paintings in shows winning awards. He was an incredible painter and I also shared with him my love for the color purple. It’s always sad to hear about the passing of such talented artists and professors. He will be missed.
Lisa Odegaard-Lee says
Gabby and family, I am so very sorry to hear of Dennis’ passing. My thoughts are with you all.
Darlene Safransky says
So sorry to hear about Dennis. Sending sympathy and hugs to his family. Worked at Parkside and remembering saying hi to him in the hallways and seeing his favorite color “purple” whether it was his purple shirt for his art work.
Fay Akindes says
Rest in peace, Purple Man! That’s what our two children called you – Purple Man. They grew up visiting UW-Parkside and seeing your friendly spirit in the corridors of Comm Arts. You were an original, Dennis. I was reminded from your Obit that you, too, studied at Ohio University – a great place for artists and kind souls. Condolences and love to your wife and family.
Linda Casey says
Gaby- I never knew of his love of arts
I would love to see some
Maybe in summer when we both tend to our gardens – alone.
I am so sorry for your loss-
Katie DeNardo says
Gaba, I am so sorry for your loss and for the rest of the family and friends of Dennis. Our hearts, prayers, and love go out to you all.
Caren Heft says
Gabby, I am so sorry to hear of Dennis’ passing. I am glad that I was able to be a small part of his world.
Mark M Giese says
I first met Dennis ca. 1985 when I, at UWP, I saw flyers posted about a Surrealism class that he was teaching. I would slip copies of the zine I was then putting out under his office door. Awhile later, we met somehow and he generously invited me to sit in in his Surrealism class where Gabriela was a student along with about a dozen others.
We would run into one another over the years usually at art openings. Sometimes we talked of Bob Dylan with him being a more dedicated fan than I.
It is sad to see he has departed and my sincere condolences to Gabriela and family.
Helen Bodven says
To Gabriela and family,
Always appreciated the wine u two made and gave to me! So thoughtful and warming the many years u bought pumpkins and we chatted! Good memories’!
Sad for sure!
Buffy’s
Dave Giordano says
With just one summer class, Dennis had a profound effect on my artistic process, work ethic, and airbrushing techniques. His style was quirky, yet contagious. He will always be remembered as a top influencer in my life. God rest his soul.
Susan Pasch says
Hi Dennis’s family. I am so sorry for your loss. He was monumental for me as student of art and then later as an art educator student. I will not forget our April babies birthday celebration Gaba. I have the picture! He will rest in peace as he did so much for so many artistic people.
Bob Mullen says
Gabriella,
So sorry to hear of Dennis’s passing. I only knew Dennis and you through our letterpress printing interests and the APA conferences we attended. I will miss his humorous printed pieces from Purple Parable Press, always done in purple ink. My condolences to you and your family.
Kathryn T Roeck says
Dear Dennis, you will be missed in the Amalgamated Printers Association. It was always a pleasure to see you, spend time with you and talk about type. You will be missed.
Ted Ollier says
Amalgamated Printers Association member here, my deepest sympathies for the loss. As a printer and art instructor myself, it’s wonderful to hear how many lives he touched with his art and teaching. He lives on through his students.
Juli Majernik (Evelynne’s younger daughter) says
Rest in Peace.
Dona Ricchio says
My art instructor at Parkside 1985. I learned so much from him. Lots that I use today as a professional artist. He will be missed and thought of often
Michael Schroeder says
I never new a man so honest and full of a non-verbal visual language that made me who I am today as an art professional. There are very few people that come into your life at the right time to help you become something you have always dreamed of. I will always miss you Dennis and I am sure the other 70 plus art education graduates would agree that you were second to none. I will always be reminded of you when I see the purple haze sunrises and sunsets.
Beth Stadler says
Gabby,
I was not a direct student of Dennis;. However, he unlocked the UW Parkside print room in evenings several times as one of Doug’s “Old-timers”. It was always so nice to see you both in the painting room next door. The art work at UW Parkside during the early to mid 1980’s was so progressive and expressive that I am proud to have been part of that experience. I seem to remember that Dennis had a collection of religious paintings or prints. Every time I see one in an antique store with a rose, thorns, and, cross, I think of Dennis. You and I occasionally would chit-chat, too. My apologies for not seeing Dennis’ obituary until now. My condolences to you and the family.
Ronald Gwynn says
Condolences to Ron and the whole family. I knew Denny from our high school and college days in Edinboro. One of the best.
Edith B Murphy says
Oh how i remember how Dennis would look when he overlook what i was working on. I ever could tell if it was good or bad but I always enjoyed his classes. I went on to get my masters at ediboro also. My focus was in pottery but i still took extra classes in painting and asked a painting professor to join my team of advisors. I never knew Dennis studied at the same university. My heart goes out to Gabby and the rest of the family. Always know that death is mearly a continuation of his light which is shining all the beautiful hues of purple. I always think of Dennis every time i reach for one of those lovely shades.