Dr. John E. Ravekes

Former President of Dundalk and Essex Community Colleges, Dr. John E. Ravekes, passed away peacefully, at 84, surrounded by family on November 9, 2022 in Catonsville, Maryland.

Educator, husband, father, grandfather, uncle, friend, traveler, sportsman, cowboy, sailor, theater lover and sometimes actor, John led a remarkably varied and impactful life. He was born on January 31, 1938, in Oakland, California, a fourth-generation Californian and descendent of a real-life 'Forty Niner' participant in the mid-1800's gold rush. John was born to Benjamin and Zetta (nee McWilliam) Ravekes, joining an already lively household with one brother and three sisters. His older siblings loved him from the start, although his sisters took some exception when their mother would send their baby brother along on dates as a chaperone! John loved his childhood growing up in the Bay Area and always considered San Francisco his home. His childhood was full of western adventures, from annual summer camping trips in Yosemite to horseback riding at the Ravekes family homestead in Chico. John embarked on what would be a lifetime journey dedicated to education beginning at San Francisco State University, where he received his B.A. in Philosophy. He went on to earn an M.S. in Education from Southern Illinois University, and an Ed.D. in Higher Education from the University of California at Berkeley.

John was introduced to Eleonor "Ellie" Xavier by his sister while they were working together at San Jose Steel, right after Ellie had immigrated with her family to the U.S. from Hong Kong. They married on August 18th, 1962 and had two children, Michelle and William, themselves fifth-generation Californians. The young family moved to the Baltimore area in 1966 where they developed a fierce love of crab cakes, the O's, the Colts, and later the Ravens, while still maintaining their California identity. John became the Dean of Students at Essex Community College while Ellie graduated from then-Towson State and started a career first as a speech therapist, then as an elementary school principal. With summers free, John, Ellie and the kids drove across country many times to visit family in California, which among other adventures, instilled a great curiosity and love of travel in Michelle and Bill. Ellie tragically died far too young in 1987.

The highlight of John's professional life in higher education was his 20 years spent as President of two Community Colleges in Baltimore County. Dr. Ravekes was the founding President of Dundalk Community College (DCC) in 1970 and a transformational leader. He provided the vision, dedication and perseverance that enabled it to grow from conducting classes in a former church and the local YMCA to a fully funded, accredited institution with a dedicated campus providing a range of 2-year degrees and certifications. At DCC he established special programs for veterans, seniors and the single-step program for disabled students. Following 12 years at Dundalk, John was selected as the President of Essex Community College where he continued his stewardship providing educational opportunities to over 40,000 credit & non-credit students. At Essex, John established programs that, for the first time, enabled students to learn Computer-Aided Design, broadened exchange and training opportunities in Latin America and Europe, and facilitated occupational training at off-campus facilities. Dr. Ravekes was a friend and mentor and well respected and loved by the faculty and students at both colleges.

As the youngest community college president in the country at 32, his energy and drive had a major impact on the community college movement not only in Maryland but also across the United States. At the national level, John served the American Student Association of Community Colleges for over 10 years as Chair of the Board of Trustees. He relished the opportunity to teach community college students about leadership, citizenship and advocacy. After retirement, he continued to guide and mentor the community as a consultant for many years.

John was a renaissance man with a love for the arts, travel, and sports. He truly loved musical theater, both as a patron and a performer. What he may have lacked in raw talent he more than made up for in enthusiasm and obvious joy on the stage. He never did reach The Impossible Note, but in shows like Oliver, Little Mary Sunshine and A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, his family and friends sure did enjoy watching him give it his all. John firmly believed in the power of the theater to entertain and educate and he worked tirelessly to make live theater accessible to the Dundalk community. Dr. Ravekes was the driving force for making Dundalk Community College the center for the arts in Dundalk and eastern Baltimore County. He successfully advocated for County leaders to fund an additional million dollars to build a state-of-the-art theater, which would become the home of the Dundalk Community Theatre. The theatre continues to thrive to this day and has forged a strong connection between the college and the community, based on the foundation Dr. Ravekes put in place. One of his many enduring legacies is that in in 1995, the college dedicated the theatre as "The John E. Ravekes Theatre," in commemoration of John and his efforts to bring quality, affordable theater on campus.

John was a life-long traveler, starting with hitchhiking across the U.S. as a teenager. His enduring love of the National Parks, especially Yosemite, was legendary. In his lifetime, he visited all 50 states and every Canadian province. He also traveled the world, visiting all seven continents - finally getting to Antarctica in his 70's with his oldest granddaughter, Ellie. John always made sure to take his time and wander through any new place to really get to know the locations and the people.

In addition, John was an avid sportsman. He fished throughout the West and would go on week-long horseback fishing trips. He was a certified open-water SCUBA diver and dove in many exotic locations around the world. He was also an avid tennis player, skier, and golfer, with multiple hole-in-ones.

John's greatest treasure was his family, especially his five grandchildren, Ellie Bart (Cory), Emma Pellerito (Sam), John "Jack" Ravekes, Liam Ravekes, and Lauren Ravekes, and he was so proud of each one of them and their accomplishments. Combining his love of family and travel, he established a tradition of "Camp Grampy" to take his children and grandchildren on annual vacations that put the travel bug in the next generation as well. But far beyond passport stamps and wonderful travel memories, what John left with his grandchildren was the lesson that life is for living, to cherish moments big and small and to share it all with those you love the most.

John is survived by his loving children, Michelle Allbritton (Mark) and Bill Ravekes (Chris), his five adoring grandchildren, and his upcoming great-grandchild due in March 2023 to Emma and Sam. He is also survived by his devoted nieces, nephews, cousins, and brother-in-law. He will be interred with his beloved wife, Ellie, on December 9, 2022 in California. Details regarding a Celebration of Life will be shared in the coming months.

To honor his memory, donations to the John E. Ravekes Theatre Fund at CCBC Dundalk (formerly Dundalk Community College) would be greatly appreciated. Please make checks payable to: CCBC Foundation, 7200 Sollers Point Road, Baltimore, MD 21222 Attn: John E. Ravekes Theatre Fund or online at Donate Now - Community College of Baltimore County (thankyou4caring.org), selecting the John E. Ravekes Theatre Fund in the pull-down menu.