In loving memory of
Joseph Rusnock

• July 25, 1949
• -
• October 21, 2022

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Joseph Rusnock was born in Hazleton, PA on July 25, 1949.  He studied theater at Penn State University, where he met his wife Deborah.  He completed his Master of Fine Arts at the University of Minnesota and worked for several years at the Guthrie Theatre and the Children’s Theatre Company in Minneapolis, Minnesota. For 10 years, he designed and executed sets, props, lights and costumes for numerous live productions including the Nutcracker Ballet performed by the Mohawk Valley Performing Arts Company in New York.  He began his teaching career at Tarkio College known for the Mule Barn Theatre. He then taught theatre design at Hamilton College in New York. Following that, he served as a professor at the University of Central Florida, teaching stage production, set design and lighting design, as well as managing stage set productions for over 50 productions. He served as Associate Chair, as well as, Acting Chair/Artistic Director of the Theatre Department. Joseph completed his career in the classroom where it all began and retired in 2018. He is survived by his wife Deborah, son Noah, and daughter-in-law Christina. He was predeceased by his son Aaron.  As an avid gardener, Joseph loved cultivating and caring for his treasured Bonsai plants. He was also a great lover of animals, and his pets gave him great joy and comfort. Although he relished the Florida heat and sunshine, his first trip after Covid closures was to Iceland and Norway. That trip gave him much joy. As per Joseph’s request no funeral or memorial service will be held. If you would like to honor him, Joseph invites you to make a donation to Pet Rescue by Judy, his favorite charity, https://www.petrescuebyjudy.com/. Joseph often said if he could run away to the circus, it would be Cirque du Soleil. Their artistic genius was an inspiration to him throughout his career.