STUART
Longtime Franklin resident Vicco von Stralendorff passed away on Thursday February 8, 2018 with family surrounding him. Vicco is remembered as a devoted husband and father, an adventurous traveler, nature lover, and passionate bibliophile. He was 88 years old.
Vicco was born on May 6, 1929 in the city of Rostock, located in the North German state of Mecklenburg. He was the oldest of five children. At the age of 15, Vicco was forced to flee his home at the end of WW II, and eventually relocated in the Black Forest region of Southwest Germany. It is there that he met the love of his life and wife of 65 years, Lilo (Schulli) von Stralendorff.
Enrolled as a student at the University of Freiburg, Vicco was awarded a Fulbright Scholarship that allowed him to travel to Franklin Indiana and attend Franklin College as a foreign exchange student. In 1959 he graduated Cum Laude from Franklin College with a degree in Economics and Business Administration. He went on to earn a Master’s Degree in Library Science from Indiana University in Bloomington, and soon thereafter accepted a job as librarian at Franklin College; a position he served until his retirement in 1995.
Vicco has read, admired, collected, and shared books his entire life. He always looked forward to helping students use the Franklin College Library for research. He belonged to a group of faculty members that enjoyed discussing books, and he maintained a close friendship with the members of his book club.
Vicco loved travelling. He loved life and his trips always held a sense of wonder and adventure. From visits abroad and back to his homeland, to small towns and Civil War battlefields, his knowledge of the local culture, food, and architecture was always enthusiastically researched. His photo albums and written journals of these trips are family treasures.
Trees were very important to him, and he served on the Franklin Tree Board for many years. He was involved in planting hundreds of trees along the streets of Franklin, in Provence Park, and on the campus of Franklin College. A simple hike in the woods would make his day. He shared his love of nature with everyone who visited him and his family at their cabin in Brown County. Sitting on the back porch with a book and a good cigar, together with his wife Lilo, made for a perfect evening.
Vicco was preceded in death by his wife Lilo on January 12, 2018. In life as in death they were inseparable. Surviving family members include daughter Gabrielle, sons Robert (Andrea), Marc (Jessica); seven grandchildren, and one great grandchild.
A memorial gathering for both Vicco and Lilo will be held at the Dietz Center at Franklin College from 3-4PM on Wednesday June 20th.
Because Vicco loved trees and enjoyed tending to the Arboretum behind his house in Provence Park, the von Stralendorff family suggests that those wishing to make memorial contributions in his memory send them to City of Franklin Tree Board, 70 E Monroe St, Franklin IN 46131.
Funeral arrangements are entrusted to the care of Martin Funeral Home and Crematory. Online condolences and expressions of sympathy can be made by visiting www.Martin-Funeral.com
