Rex Irvine; Graphic Artist and Illustrator

Rex Irvine, a commercial artist, died Wednesday at his home in Thousand Oaks. He was 72.

Irvine was born Jan. 13, 1924, in the Bronx section of New York City. After high school, he studied printing and typography and worked for printers in Canada, according to his wife, Marian Joan Irvine, 62.

In the late ‘40s and early ‘50s, he studied with Herbert Jepson at the now-defunct Jepson Art Institute in Los Angeles. The institute played an important role in the development of experimental figure drawing.

Rex Irvine worked as a graphic artist and illustrator. He also painted story boards for TV cartoons including “Conan,” “Batman” and “Iron Man.”

“He designed brochures, he designed catalogs, he illustrated and he painted,” said Marian Joan Irvine. “The title for one of his paintings that he has prints on is very apropos at this time--’Rolling Home.’ It’s an American clipper ship involved in the tea trade.”

Irvine met his California-born wife-to-be in Los Angeles in 1959. “He laid his eyes on me, and then he came trouncing across the room and wanted to buy me a drink,” said Marian Irvine, at the time a commercial artist in the Bandini area of Los Angeles near Vernon.

“He came to take me out to lunch from the Hollywood area one day. I said, ‘You are going to come down here in a sports car?’ ”

Irvine did, and they were married in 1963.

The newlyweds’ first home was an apartment in Hollywood. They later moved to Canoga Park, and in 1966 they moved to Agoura where they stayed until June of last year.

For the past year they lived in Thousand Oaks.

Irvine’s death came three days before he and Marian Joan were to celebrate their 33rd wedding anniversary. He worked up until his death, and was picking up a new illustrating job the day he died.

Like many anniversaries in the past, the couple were planning to spend a quiet evening at a French-continental restaurant in Sherman Oaks.

“We were trying to get away for a day or two,” said his wife. “Just to be together. That was all we ever wanted.

“We were cheap dates,” she said. “Rex did not like frills, and he had a personality that was unbeatable. He was one of the true white hats.

“He was truly, truly a good person. He’s going to be missed by everyone.”

Besides his wife, Irvine is survived by three daughters, Irina Irvine-Marchaseno of Thousand Oaks, Deirdre Irvine of Canoga Park and Paula Hanover of Newbury Park.

A service will be held today at Pierce Brothers Valley Oaks Mortuary in Westlake Village. Viewing begins at 1:30 p.m. at which friends may offer prayers and memories. The funeral service will be at 3:30 p.m. Burial will follow at Valley Oaks Memorial Park.