Dr. Louis Djisovi Ikukomi Eason, Ph.D., 56, passed away September 21, 2005, at St. Vincent Mercy Medical Center. He was born in Atlanta, Georgia, to Louis and Elise Beck Eason, Sr., and lived in New York City and Gary, Indiana and has been a resident of Toledo since August of 1990. He authored several published works on African traditional religions, was widely appreciated for the Odun Omo Eniyan Children's Festival, and for taking students to study African history, culture, and performing arts in the Republic of Benin, Togo, Ghana, and Nigeria. He studied under famed drummer, Babatunde Olatunji and was committed to the aims and ideals of Marcus Mosiah Garvey and Martin Luther King, Jr. As a member of the Clark Atlanta Jazz Orchestra, he performed with several well-known jazz artists, and was a founder of the Atlanta African Dance Ensemble. He was the director of Education Transformation through Cultural Arts, a component of the Center for Innovative and Transformative Education, and was an instructor in Africana studies at BGSU. He was well known for his work as an African cultural specialist and percussionist in Toledo-Bowling Green churches, schools, and cultural institutions. Dr. Eason was a member of the Society for the Study of Black Religion, American Culture Studies Association, Africana Faculty and Staff Caucus. He was a priest of Hevioso and was affiliated with the Oyotunji African Village and Ile-Ife, Nigeria's Egungun Society and is Chief Atokun Eegun. He was active with the research projects of the African-American Legacy Project of Northwest Ohio and with its musician's history society, as well as with the Lathrop House project.
He is survived by wife, Dr. Lillian Ashcraft-Eason; sons, Kojo and Kwaku Eason of Atlanta, and Amansu Eason of Bowling Green; grandson, Darik Schaaf and his mother, Karrie of Minneapolis; brother, Julius Eason; sister, Nana (Otis Sr.) Johnson of Atlanta; paternal aunt, Rebecca Eason; godfather, Medahoci and godbrother, Tosu, of Atlanta; brothers and sisters-in-law and adopted children; several nieces, nephews, cousins and a host of relatives, friends, students, and colleagues.
In lieu of flowers the family request that donations be made to the Djisovi Eason Scholarship Endowment Fund and mailed to the Development office of Bowling Green State University, Bowling Green, Ohio 43403.