In Memory

James (Red) Wassenich

James (Red) Wassenich

An obituary indicating a memorial/funeral has not been located yet.  It will be posted if there is one.

 

It is with great sadness that we share that Red Wassenich, long-time Austin Community College librarian, passed away on Feb. 28. He invented the phrase "Keep Austin Weird" and wrote several popular guidebooks, in addition to being a librarian at ACC for 30+ years. Rest in peace.I

 

Famous for coining the phrase "Keep Austin Weird," Red Wassenich passed away on Friday morning, Feb. 28, due to complications from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). The slogan – the exact origins of which are a hotly contested piece of old Austin lore – reflected Wassenich's nonconformist commitment to preserving his hometown's original character. Although he had the opportunity to capitalize on the phrase, he made a conscious choice to not trademark it. According to his close family friend Ginny Agnew, this would not be in character for him – Wassenich believed that "Commercializing is the antithesis of weird."

"His goal was not to make money. We lost lots of money on [Keep Austin Weird], actually," his wife Karen Pavelka said.

However, the phrase was ultimately trademarked by a local company, turning it into less an ethos than a marketing strategy, much to Wassenich's chagrin.

He was known among his close friends and family for being an "irreverent observer of life," according to tributes and obituaries they wrote in the days following his passing. They described him as somewhat of an unorthodox public servant.

In the early days of "Keep Austin Weird," Pavelka and Wassenich used to print out bumper stickers to give to their dog groomer for free. The groomer would sell the stickers, and the proceeds were donated to dog rescue programs.

In addition to the bumper sticker project, Wassenich often engaged in many of his unconventional community projects with his best friend Chuck Herring, helping to preserve Austin landmarks like the Cathedral of Junk and Stephanie Distefano's El Paso Street Bridge mosaic.

According to Ginny Agnew, the city of Austin wanted to demolish the Cathedral of Junk due to safety concerns. To counter this effort, Wassenich and Herring conducted an extended project requiring weather research and endurance tests, which included dumping 500 gallons of water on the Cathedral to ensure it would remain stable in case of heavy rains. In the end, Wassenich was able to convince city authorities that the structure was not a local security hazard – and the Cathedral of Junk remains standing today.

Friends and family remembered Wassenich's electic interests, openness to experience, and his wild imagination. According to his brother Mark, Wassenich fell in love with the New York film scene and was cast as a mummy in the film The Hunger starring Catherine Deneuve and David Bowie. More recently, Wassenich, a librarian, was teaching a course titled "Accuracy in Age of Deception" as an adjunct professor at the University of Texas at Austin, to inform students about media literacy and misinformation.

The author of two published guides to the "odd side of town," Wassenich's public legacy is one of a passionate defense of an Austin some think is already bygone. His friend Tobin Quereau described a more personal legacy:

"And I now will carry Red and his spirit with me every time I enter a library, read a new book, challenge an assumption, or gather together with friends to continue learning and growing for as long as we can. Red, I believe, would want it that way. So long, my friend."



 
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03/04/20 11:09 PM #1    

Nicki Thompson (Tyler)

So sorry to hear of Red's passing.  May he rest in peace.  He was quite famous in a quiet way, "Keep Austin Weird is the slogan adopted by the Austin Independent Business Alliance to promote small businesses in Austin, Texas. It is intended to promote local businesses and is inspired by comments made by Red Wassenich in 2000 while giving a pledge to an Austin radio station."


03/05/20 12:13 PM #2    

Carl Weisser

I was supposed to play golf with Jim and Rick Day. That was an invitation at the 50th that I never followed up on. But that is about me not Red so let me just say I have long admired him from a distance, as an integral member of a group of intellectuals that I was always welcome in but never felt worthy of. I will always remember him also as posing in costume at one of the on stage events at Paschal as Charlie McCarthy the puppet of Edgar Bergen. He always denied doing it and it may have been someone else but I got it fixed in my mind. I guess I saw a resemblance and just wanted it to be him. So forgive me Red, I mean this not as an insult but as the utmost tribute to a really soft-spoken but funny man.


03/05/20 12:31 PM #3    

Michael Hofstein

Red's quick wit and humor were unsurpassable.  No doubt, those who knew him, both from Paschal and those he met in the many years since, were fond of him and appreciated his brilliance.  Rest in Peace


03/06/20 11:27 AM #4    

Steve Helm

 

Although I have not kept up well with him, Red was one of my best friends in high school and for some time after. In fact, I christened him with the moniker "Red" because I thought he needed a nickname and that seemed the least appropriate and therefore the best for someone who liked to be a little different.

Jim was a good person and will be missed.

Steve Helm

 

 

 

 

 


03/06/20 05:36 PM #5    

Shannon Sedwick (Shelton)

Red Wassenich was a brilliant and funny man, super droll, and self deprecating, but like the quiet guy in the room, everyone stopped talking when he spoke. He was that good. I was lucky enough to tag along with him, Mike Archenhold, and so many smart people that hung together at Paschal. In Austin, I loved to run into him, and hear his stories about his books, his crazy garage sales, and his life as a librarian type. What a tragedy to lose this great man!


03/07/20 12:06 PM #6    

Suzy Meek (Studdard)

I'm sorry to read of James's passing. His subtle humor and intellect were legendary. I wonder if he knew that. I wondered where the nickname "Red" came from, so thanks for that info and the character was Mr Peanut (top hat, monocle), but I don't remember the occasion. Thanks for the Edgar Bergen/Charlie McCarthy pic.


03/09/20 01:32 PM #7    

Sandra Vickers (Haas)

During our years in high school, I only knew Jim as a nice quiet guy in some of my classes.I also knew that his father was a well respected professor at TCU's Bright Divinity School, where my mother was in several of his classes. After being away from Ft. Worth for many years, I returned to attend a TCU Alumni event, where I found that Jim's family and there foundation were a prominent part of the TCU community. Then, about ten years ago at a Philanthropy Day event for our St. Louis chapter of the National Fund Raising Executive organization, I was surprised to see that Jim was a panel member, discussing the state of philanthropy in the US. We talked that day and he was the same nice guy I had know in high school. He had grown in statue, not physically, but in finding the charitable direction for a meaningful life. Heavy, I know, but so true.


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