Leo Rockas, a longtime Rye resident who spent decades donating blood and platelets to the American Red Cross in memory of his sister, died at Greenwich Hospital following a brief illness. He was 97.
His family published an obituary on MyRye.com on Friday, Aug. 7, describing a life that bridged literary scholarship and quiet generosity.
Rockas was a Shakespeare and Jane Austen scholar who earned his bachelor's and master's degrees from the University of Rochester, where he was a member of Phi Beta Kappa, and his PhD in English literature from the University of Michigan.
He taught for many years at the University of Hartford, retiring as professor emeritus, and also taught at SUNY Geneseo and Briarcliff College.
His academic output never slowed. He published three essays on Pride and Prejudice in the Jane Austen Society of North America's journal Persuasions, and as of 2017 was under contract with a London publisher to complete unfinished Austen works. He also wrote plays, novels and literary criticism.
His history play Becoming Regent received a staged reading in New York in 2016. That same year, NPR mentioned him in a broadcast about a new film adaptation of Austen's Lady Susan.
In a 2007 University of Michigan newsletter, Rockas described his novel Mice Make War as "a savage satire on the Bush administration."
But neighbors in Rye may have known him best for what he did with his left arm. According to his family's obituary, Rockas donated thousands of pints of blood and platelets until the age of 94 in honor of his sister Edna, who died as a young mother from leukemia. The family called him "a Red Cross hero."
Born and raised in Rochester, N.Y., Rockas lived in West Simsbury, Conn.; Geneseo, N.Y.; Ossining, N.Y.; and Pittsfield, N.Y. before settling in Rye. He was a U.S. veteran, an avid gardener, baker and cook, a vegetarian for most of his life, and a choir member at Greek Orthodox churches throughout his life.
He is survived by his daughters Nia and Anastasia, grandchildren Sophie, Oscar, Theo and Zoe, nephew Tino and nieces Maria, Julie and Cindy. He was predeceased by his wife Virginia, his siblings Edna and Constantino, and nephew John.
Services
Visitation will be held Friday, Aug. 21, from 5 to 8 p.m. at Anthony's Funeral Home, 2305 Monroe Ave., Rochester, N.Y. Funeral services will be held Saturday, Aug. 22, at 11 a.m. at the Greek Orthodox Church of the Annunciation, 962 East Ave., Rochester, N.Y. Burial will follow at White Haven Memorial Park, 210 Marsh Road, Pittsfield, N.Y.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to the American Red Cross at redcross.org.
