Obituaries

Albert Riusech

Photo of Albert  Riusech
Albert Riusech, 85, of Texarkana, TX, died Thursday, February 8, 2018, at his residence.  He was born April 8, 1932, on Pamplona Street in a small town 17 km from Havana, Cuba, to Gregorio Riusech and Otilia Baluja. Albert was public-schooled in the morning and private-schooled in the afternoon, and contributed, in part, his learning of the English language to the BBC programming which was broadcast from Key West. A missionary librarian named Mildred Matthews invited Albert to Springfield, MO, to complete high school, and Albert went to live with the Lay family there. Following high school, he enrolled in Southwest Baptist University, where he earned an Associate of Arts in Education. During the following years, Albert earned a BA in French and Languages-English, Spanish, Greek, and related fields from Ouachita Baptist University. After furthering his education and receiving his Master's Degree, he shared his learning by teaching at a number of universities, such as Ouachita Baptist and Henderson State Universities, LSU-Shreveport, and Texarkana College, from which he later retired. He was a member and sponsor of Sigma Tau Gamma Fraternity. His love of teaching allowed him to mentor people in need over the years. Albert was one of the most positive people in the world, always smiling and uplifting others. Albert was a humanitarian by nature, and his giving spirit and acts of kindness will be missed by many. His friend, Jimmie, said, "God gave us Albert to teach us to give everything and to help others." He lived by the philosophy of "If you want more happy than your heart can hold, take whatever you have and give it away." He was most happy when he was helping and giving, and making everyone else's day better, or perhaps even playing a prank on someone! He is survived by one brother, Sergio Riusech; a number of sisters-in-law and nieces and nephews; and a host of special friends and co-workers who loved Albert dearly. He loved Mohammad Ganjizadeh like a son, and considered his wife, Faranak, and their children, as his own family. He will be greatly missed by Dr. Rolfe Wylie, his daily lunch buddy; Sharon Skinner, retired Humanities secretary; and "his" T.C. English teachers. Funeral services will be held at 10:00 A.M. Saturday, February 17, 2018, at Texarkana Funeral Home, Texas Chapel.  Visitation will immediately follow. Burial will be in Sunset Memorial Gardens, Tampa, FL. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Texarkana Humane Society, P.O. Box 5020, Texarkana, TX 75505-5020 or online at www.texarkanahumanesociety.org

Published February 14, 2018

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