Del Unruh, a country boy, was born in Glendive, Montana to Anthony J. Unruh and Loretta Mae (Volbrecht) Unruh December 29, 1941. He worked for his family on the farm throughout his younger years driving tractor, tilling fields, planting wheat, harvesting. It was his mother's suggestion that he attend the University of Montana where he found his passion in the theatre. At first it was as an actor and later as a designer. After he met his future wife, Ione Hutchings, he decided to make theatre a career and applied to Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois and was accepted for their graduate program. Del and Ione were married August 21, 1963 and traveled to Evanston in 1964 to begin the creation of his life-long career in the theatre as a designer, teacher, and passionate believer in the Arts.

Del passed from this life to a new journey on May 8, 2024, at 10 pm (CT). The passing was quiet, blessed with his girls surrounding him and Kermit's "Rainbow" song playing in the background. He was truly blessed for such a quiet time to leave.

His daughters, Romanda (Rome) Hines, Julia Unruh-Kracke, and Emily Loretta Stout were a blessing as a father. He loved his two grandsons who came with this blessing, Thomas Hines (18) and JP (James Porter LeRoy Stout 11) his pride and joys, and his three son-in-laws Dan Hines, Kurtis Unruh-Kracke, and Tim Stout as they are not only great kids but were the boys he had wished for when his girls were born, so he had the best of both worlds as father, grandfather and father-in-law.

Del was a Full Professor in Theatre at the University of Kansas where he worked for almost 40 years. He was instrumental in developing the Scenography program which offered the first MFA in Design outside Yale University, a pride that Del wore proudly. As part of his professional research and study, Del became a Theatre Scholar in the field of Czech Theatre Design after a sabbatical in the Czech Republic (Czechoslovakia at the time) where he had gone to study with Josef Svoboda, and through a series of introductions met Jaroslav Malina who became his lifelong friend, mentor, and brother. Through Jaroslav, Del was able to bring real Czech theatre to KU which brought many students from all over the world to study with him. This program and what it offered was his passion and upon retirement he reveled in hearing from former students concerning their time with him and their careers in the theatre due to that special study he had provided for the program.

Del was the recipient of many awards throughout his career but his writing awards from USITT (United States Institute of Theatre Technology), Herb Gregg Award for excellence in writing, 1986, 1992, 2003; The 2002 Kennedy Center Medallion of Excellence for Teaching, Design, and Writing; And the honor of a Fulbright Research Fellowship for further study into Czech Theatre Design in 2003, are among his favorite accomplishments. He also received many design awards for his set and lighting design both in the professional and academic theatre. These awards are too numerous to mention, as well as the publications he wrote, but can be found by an internet search of his name. His career was long, varied and full of the Arts which he loved.

He leaves behind his wife of 61 years, Ione, and their three daughters Rome Hines (Dan Hines), Julia Unruh-Kracke (Kurtis Unruh-Kracke) Emily Stout (Tim Stout), 2 grandchildren Thomas, JP, and sister, Myrt Schultz of Glendive, MT; nephew and nieces Arnold (Arnie) Schultz, Bloomfield, MT, Anita Schultz Saas, Billings MT; Tony Don Lear, Huntly, MT, Trent Lear, Sacramento, CA. His sister, Sharon Unruh Lear, and parents AJ (Tony) and Loretta Unruh preceded him in death.

Services for Del will be on May 18, at 2:00 pm at the Inge Theatre, Murphy Hall. The family is requesting former students attending the service to bring a representative piece of their work to be displayed as a tribute to Del. Memorial contributions may be made in Delbert's name to the 100th Anniversary for the KU Theatre Department and may be sent in care of Warren-McElwain Mortuary, 120 W. 13th Street, Lawrence, KS 66044.

For more information or to post a condolence go to warrenmcelwain.com.

To plant trees in memory, please visit the Sympathy Store.

Published by Lawrence Journal-World on May 12, 2024.

Memories and Condolences
for Delbert Unruh

4 Entries

John Gronbeck-Tedesco

July 24, 2024

Del changed scene design in the United States. He did it partially by his designs but mostly by his writing, because not everyone was fortunate to see his wonderful work. Scene design in the U.S. was dominated by the ideas of New Stage Craft, a late 19th century rethinking of the role of light. Adolph Appia, Gordon Craig, Robert Edmond Jones, Jo Mielziner and three generations of designers learned to light mostly realistic settings with an approach that was intended to take theatre beyond the constraints of a realistic mise. The tension between realism and the spiritual agendas of the New Stage Craft became the signature of American design. And then, Del Unruh went to the Czech Republic on a Fulbright and started writing. He attributed new assumptions and practices to an approach called Action Design and credited Yaroslav Malina as a central influence. But Del was the one who developed Action Design, adding to and revising its principles, practices and scope. Read what he wrote in his publications for the USITT. He was an agent of change. We were lucky to know him and fathom his work.

David Montee

May 15, 2024

I went down a different path in my theatre career than Design, but Del Unruh and his work amazed me when I first encountered it as an undergraduate at the University of Oklahoma in the 1970's, and worked with him as a lighting crew member. A decade later, I again was privileged to see his beautiful work while I was in my doctoral studies at K.U. He was an impressive artist and teacher, as was obvious by his many accomplishments and awards. I'm honored to have known him, albeit briefly.
He was also a very dryly funny person, which I always greatly appreciated. And I loved his dashing mustache that he wore with panache at O.U.!
My heartfelt condolences to his family in their time of mourning. He was really quite a memorable man.

Aubrey and Melanie

Planted Trees

Gigi Gibson Bolt

May 14, 2024

Del was a brilliant and kind man of the theatre whose dedication and contributions to KU theatre were essential in creating the department we treasure today. He will be truly missed, but his spirit will remain.

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