In his nearly 40 years at Normandale Community College, Rex Gaskill always kept the entire school in mind.
"Rex was always looking for win-win solutions — things that would benefit and support the college, the faculty, the staff, the community and students. He was approachable, listened, made fair decisions and was kind to everyone he encountered," said Teri Avis Wichman, who was the Bloomington college's dean of business, social sciences and the library before retiring. "And all of that with a smile and a twinkle in his eyes."
Gaskill, a Kansas native who became a longtime Minneapolis resident, arrived at Normandale in 1973. During his tenure, he served a number of roles before retiring in 2012.
"He was one of the first people I met on campus when I was hired as faculty, making a point to come meet me and welcome me," Avis Wichman said. "We taught together, we were deans together, and he was my interim replacement when I retired from Normandale. He was always willing to help out however he could. I could not have asked for a better colleague and friend."
Gaskill, of Minneapolis, died April 10. He was 77.
Gaskill was born Dec. 21, 1942, in Hutchinson, Kan., and raised by his grandparents. After high school, he attended Hutchinson Community College and earned an associate's degree. He then earned a bachelor's in communication from Fort Hays (Kan.) State and a master's in communications from the University of Nebraska. He also took coursework toward a doctorate at the University of Minnesota.
He taught at several colleges and universities before joining the staff at Normandale as a faculty member in speech communication and the director of forensics.
He coached many national champions and award winners in forensics and was awarded Phi Rho Pi's Distinguished Service Award and the Outstanding Contribution to Speech and Theatre by the Communication and Theater Association of Minnesota, which oversees communication and theater teachers and professors in the state.
