Julius Rascheff

Julius Emil Rascheff (81) died on August 12, 2017, of pneumonia at Kootenai Hospital in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, with his wife Jean and stepson Vince at his side. Julius was born on July 1, 1936, in Sofia, Bulgaria, to Emil and Luba (Kusteleva) Rascheff. He and his wife Lora Jean (nee Lenoir) married in 2010 and are residents of Bad Zwischenahn, Germany.

Julius graduated from the French and Czech film academies IDHEC and FAMU in Paris and Prague. Upon his graduation from IDHEC in Paris he was selected to make a documentary film in Algeria during the Algerian Civil War. The film, Les Oliviers de la Justice (The Olive Trees of Justice), was awarded the Critics Award at Cannes. In 1971 Julius became a professor at the University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign School of Art and Design, where he taught cinematography for 30 years. He also lectured in Japan, Indonesia, and Europe.

He rarely mentioned his many honors. He had a deep belief in a divine presence that guided him.

He loved everything that was beautiful and genuine. His some 4000 students remembered him as having precise understanding of film techniques, teaching these techniques, and admiring each individual expression that incorporated and transformed technique into a beautiful work of art.

He admired Orson Welles and had the honor of receiving a letter from Welles praising Julius’s study of Touch of Evil.

Julius is survived by his wife Jean; his daughter Luba of Toronto, Ontario; cousins Luciana Simeonova of Sofia, Bulgaria, and Vera Albracht of Saarbruecken, Germany, and their children; his step sons Rolland B. Heiss (Amy) of Airway Heights, Wash., Jeremy H. Heiss and his wife Lynne of Pullman, Wash., and Vincent Heiss and his wife Shone of Post Falls, Idaho, and their children; sister-in-law Katie Knepper and her husband Alferd of Sparks, Nev.; brothers-in-law James Carter Lenoir and Robert L. Lenoir of Tucson, Ariz.; sister-in-law Linda Lenoir of Tampa, Fla.; sister-in-law Kathy Hill and her husband John of Bonners Ferry, Idaho; and cousin-in-law Ann Kevin Mawn.

He loved each member of his family and appreciated every kindness that they showed him; in turn, his family appreciated the many acts of kindness that he showed them.

Highlights during the last few months in Idaho were his joy at hearing from his beloved daughter Luba; his delighted laughter during telephone conversations with his dear cousin and childhood companion Luciana; his fond smile when he heard from his dear cousin Mima and daughter Simona; his enjoyment of the pictures that granddaughters Ariana and Milana drew for him; his nearly crying each time he talked about little two-year-old granddaughter Brynn’s taking and holding his hand to help him while her father pushed his transport chair; his reminiscing about travels in Europe and enjoyable conversations with his intelligent and adorable grandson Jeremy Michael; and his being so touched when Kathy and John Hill surprised him on his 81st birthday with an individually designed T-shirt that showed highlights of his life. He talked with gratitude about the help that he received from Jeremy, Lynne, Vince and Shone in finding and helping him move into an apartment near the hospital. His eyes lit up every time his family visited him in the apartment and at the hospital.

The family remembers his brilliance, his strong spirit and gentle nature, his sense of humor, and his belief that the most important word in a family is love.

A private prayer service has been scheduled at English Funeral Chapel in Post Falls, Idaho.