Daniel Politoske Obituary

Dr Politoske was one of my mentors as a graduate student at KU. There was nobody more supportive. He was extremely generous with his time and talents. I sang in Collegium and wrote my dissertation under his guidance. His sense of humor was evident in all he did - - I have thought of him often over the years and just googled him today - I will be forever grateful for all he had done for me. RIP Dr. Politoske.

Margaret and family, Please accept the sympathies of my brother Joe and I at the passing of Dan. He was a great friend of my mother, Dorothy Flannery, along with Olive and Mary. Dan was very kind to my mother for a number of years before her death in 2013. I spoke to Dan on the phone around that time or so. I did not realize that Dan and I both had studied at the University of Louvain in Leuven, Belgium where I was on the staff of The American College Graduate Seminary. May Dan rest in peace! I will offer a Mass for Dan's eternal rest in the near future. God's peace, Fr. Bob Flannery, pastor, St. Francis Xavier Parish, Carbondale, Illinois.

A wonderfully friendly, helpful and knowledgeable man who helped so many people by turning them on to classical music. He was a big help in Murphy Hall, in his church, for Kansas Public Radio, and so many other places. His warm smile lives on in our hearts.

Dan Politoske was my colleague for seven years at the University of Kansas. He chaired the search committee that hired me and was my mentor as I started my work at KU. He was a bright, jovial man and a wonderful colleague. Dan was a passionate teacher and important mentor to many students. He was a good friend here in Lawrence and I saw him a few times when he lived in Pittsburgh. Those were memorable visits and I am very sad that he is gone. Dan will be missed by many people.

I studied with Dr. Politoske in the mid-90s as a master's student in musicology at the University of Kansas. To reminisce, I´m looking just now through my material, which I still have (!), from his Music of the Mass seminar, which I enjoyed a lot. It was at that time I gained a deep appreciation especially for Byrd´s Masses for Three, Four, and Five voices, an appreciation I continue to carry. I am glad to have studied with him.

-Scott M.
Professor of Music Theory
University of Kansas

Dr. Politoske was my music history professor when I received my M.M. from the University of Kansas in the 1970s. I remember well his kindness and generosity, and the depth of his knowledge. He was an inspiration to many.