Dr Edward A. Wicas, Professor Emeritus of the University of Connecticut died peacefully in his sleep on Friday January 18, 2013, at age 88 1/2. He was pre-deceased by his spouse of fifty-nine years Josephine Bailey Wicas, who was a Professor Emeritus of Central Connecticut State University.
For more than 50 years, Edward and Josephine enjoyed living in Glastonbury Connecticut and summering in Marion Massachusetts. As college professors, they embraced progressive ideas in their respective professional fields and more broadly in their lives with family, friends and neighbors.
His embrace of progressive ideas coupled with a “creative can do” attitude was reflected by the Glastonbury Connecticut mid-century modern house that he designed and built in 1960, and enjoyed with friends and family for 5 decades. With south facing panoramas across the Connecticut River Valley, the house was an early passive solar residence that incorporated all of the cutting edge design ideas from the period. As a self-taught architect, the house is a remarkable achievement with an enduring design that has been thoughtfully restored and updated by its new owner.
Ed’s interests in design extended beyond architecture and included the arts, especially modern art. While a lifelong museum enthusiast, he created many large scale abstract paintings. Like his efforts to design his house, Ed studied, experimented with different mediums and successfully executed his vision.
For many years, in the entry hall of his house, hung a large scale painting created by Ed of an abstract figure contorted in agony. Upon careful scrutiny, within the figure was an “Allen Ginsburg” style howl of outrage at the events of injustice in the world. The painting served to challenge all who entered to think about the world, its problems and the need for solutions.
His strong social conscience, belief in social justice and advocacy of education as a path to improve one’s life, emerged from his own experience. Ed was born on June 8, 1924 in Boston MA, the son of Walter and Benigna Wicas, Lithuania immigrants to the US. He entered elementary school without speaking English, experienced the deprivations of the depression and grew up in a world where immigrant, working class people faced discrimination.
Despite these obstacles, Ed's natural intellect permitted him to graduate high school from the prestigious Boston Latin School. After serving in WWII in the Army Air Corps as a flight-engineer/gunner on B-24s in the South Pacific, the GI Bill provided him with access to higher education. Ed went on to earn his Bachelors, Masters and Doctoral Degrees from Boston University.
Conscious of the help he received as a young man, Ed led an influential professional life. He joined the faculty of the University of Connecticut as Professor of Educational Psychology in 1956. For twenty-five years he was the Chairperson of the Graduate Studies Program in Counseling Psychology where he served as mentor and major advisor for over seventy-five PHD graduates. Many of his students stayed in touch with him throughout their post-graduate lives.
He served as Training Consultant in Counseling Psychology for the US Veterans Administration for more than 25 years and as a Consultant in Rehabilitation for the Social Security Administration for 10 years. In 1962, he served as the President of the Connecticut Personnel and Guidance Association. In 1975, he served as the President of the Connecticut Psychological Association.
His intellectually adventuresome and commanding spirit inspired his students, children and friends. He demonstrated that you could put your mind to work, think creatively and do many things. Complementing his efforts as a self-taught architect and artist, he became a proficient builder completing the interiors of his winter and summer residence. He also was an active landscaper, embracing lush native plantings, and promoting a low maintenance, low water usage approach to gardening, now referred to as xeriscaping.
In the mid-1960’s, Ed took up sailing. From
