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Cyrus D. DeCoster of Evanston, 84, professor emeritus of Spanish, died at his home Jan. 29 [1999]. A memorial service was held at the Unitarian Church of Evanston on Feb. 7.
Mr. DeCoster joined the North-western faculty in 1969 and taught Spanish until his retirement in 1985. He served two terms as chair of the department of Spanish and Portuguese. He produced 11 books and wrote extensively about 19th and 20th century Spanish literature. He was recognized for the vast contributions he made to understanding the work of novelists Juan Valera, Antonio del Alarcon and Emilia Pardo Bazan.
Mr. DeCoster wrote his autobiography in 1993 for his children, and he recently celebrated his 50th wedding anniversary with his wife Barbara.
A native of Leesberg, Va., Mr. DeCoster was raised in St. Paul, Minn. He earned his bachelor's degree from Harvard University, studied for a year at the Sorbonne in Paris and received his master's degree in French from the University of Chicago. He joined the U.S. Navy and served as an officer on the USS Abercrombie DE343 during World War II. The crew took an active role in many battles, including the invasion of Okinawa and the battle of Philippine Sea.
Mr. DeCoster began his teaching career at Carleton College (Minnesota) following the war. He later obtained his doctoral degree in Spanish from the University of Chicago in 1951. He taught at the University of Kansas, where he chaired the department of Romance Languages for three years before joining Northwestern.
In addition to his wife Barbara, Mr. DeCoster is survived by his sons David, Kenneth and James; daughter Janine; grandchildren Dylan, Jacklyn and Julia; and sister, Janine Butler. Memorial donations may be made to Hospice of the North Shore, 2821 Central St., Evanston, 60201.
