Rane Arroyo, 55, a distinguished university professor of English at the University of Toledo and a prize-winning poet, author, and playwright, died May 7 in Mercy St. Vincent Medical Center.

He died of blunt-force trauma to the head after a fall, according to the Lucas County Coroner's Office. He fell April 28 at his mother's house and had been hospitalized for two days, said Glenn Sheldon, his partner of 28 years.

He returned to the hospital May 5 with what doctors told Mr. Sheldon was bleeding in the brain.

Mr. Arroyo, a UT faculty member since 1997, was selected last month as a distinguished university professor, based on his publishing and teaching record and his service to his field and the university.

"Teaching creative writing is intimate in a way many disciplines aren't because students write from their own experiences, as do I as a Latino and gay man," Mr. Arroyo was quoted last month in a university news release. "This award is an affirmation of why art matters in these trying times and also a tribute to the university leadership that they realize research goes beyond labs."

Mr. Arroyo was known for being courageous in his writing as he explored his Puerto Rican heritage and growing up in Chicago, said Sara Lundquist, chairman of the UT English department.

"He also wrote about being gay in America," Ms. Lundquist said. "That garnered him many readers who appreciated his example of being open about those aspects of contemporary life."

He was a mentor, both to students and established writers.

"He cared about his students, and it was so obvious and in not just an academic way, but on an emotional level, he was so connected," said Dusty Miller, who this month received a master's degree in English. "He always knew when you were having a bad day or bad relationship. He would pull you aside and give you advice."

Mr. Arroyo turned down offers from other schools, said Mr. Sheldon, who also is a UT professor.

His background was working-class, and he wanted to stay in Toledo with working and middle-class students.

"He was a role model: It doesn't matter what class you come from, your sexual orientation, you can survive and thrive in any venue," Mr. Sheldon said.

Mr. Arroyo was published in internationally respected journals, and his honors included a John Ciardi Poetry Prize and a Carl Sandburg Poetry Prize.

He was born Nov. 15, 1954, in Chicago, the son of Nelida and Ramon Arroyo. He received a bachelor's degree from Elmhurst College and a master's degree from the University of Illinois-Springfield.

He received a doctorate from the University of Pittsburgh.

Mr. Arroyo was a performance artist in Chicago before he was an academic. Attendees of his events "would have seen controlled chaos," Mr. Sheldon said. "But his work was textually based so they would have been hearing, always, poetry."

He previously taught at Slippery Rock and Youngstown State universities.

Surviving are his life partner, Glenn Sheldon; mother, Nelida Arroyo; sister, Marje Szinavel, and brother, Michael Arroyo.

Private services were held last week. Other memorials will be scheduled in the coming months, Mr. Sheldon said.

The family suggests tributes to Paws and Whiskers Cat Shelter, Toledo.

Contact Mark Zaborney at:

mzaborney@theblade.com

or 419-724-6182.

First Published May 21, 2010, 10:18 a.m.