| HIST |
member of the Sumter Community Concert Band He was raised in the Junior Order Children’s Home in Tiffin, Ohio, from the age of 10 months following his father’s death and mother’s illness. There he found his love for music, began singing at the age of 5, moving to the trumpet, French horn and finally trombone until he was assigned to the tuba as the only available instrument when he was in the 11th grade. The tuba and the string bass became his two main staples in his long musical career. He entered the Army Air Corps early in 1947 then auditioned for, and was accepted into, the Air Force Band. He was initial cadre and a member of the original Air Force Academy Band. He served 21 years in the AIr Force. He would be the first to tell you how lucky he was to spend his life doing what he loved most - music - saying, “Musicians live to play; the Air Force gave us a steady job doing it.” His assignments included the premiere Air Force Ceremonial Band in Washington, D. C., and the famed Air Force Adademy Band before moing to Shaw Air Force Base in 1965. He wrote and composed “Facon Fight,” the AIr Force Academy fight song, along with numerous other scores still played and recorded today. • After retiring in 1969, he devoted his life to passing the gift of music to local students as a band director in Sumter School District 2, teaching at Hillcrest, Furman and Ebenezer High schools, and then at Sumter Catholic and St. Anne’s Elementary schools. He led music for the Protestant, then Catholic, parish on Shaw Air Force Base for 27 years, accompanied by his wife, Virginia. He also taught in adult education programs in the county, both at Central Carolina Technical College and Sumter Adult Education. He was a life member of the American Legion and board member of the Sumter-Shaw Community Concert Association and a member of the Sumter Community Concert Band. He volunteered with the Sumter Little Theater, Civic Chorale, and could often be found playing his bass, backing up local visiting artists. At death- he had 15 grandchildren, Benjamin Parrish, Elizabeth Hollman, Heather Hunter, Melodee Brant, Forest Adams, Geoffrey Parrish, Kristine Adams, Justin Ray, Joshua Ray, Kathryn Blanchard, Stockton Blanchard, Mary Elizabeth Ray, Laura Grace Blanchard, William Forest Ray Jr. and Matthew Ray- (who are their parents)? and 7 great-grandchildren- Byan Parrish, Alec Barger, Dakota Best, Allison Grace Hunter, Pate Parrish, Emma Adams and Joseph Parrish (who are their parents)? jkh He led music for the Protestant, then Catholic, parish on Shaw Air Force Base for 27 years, accompanied by his wife, Virginia. He also taught in adult education programs in the county, both at Central Carolina Technical College and Sumter Adult Education. He was a life member of the American Legion and board member of the Sumter-Shaw Community Concert Association and a member of the Sumter Community Concert Band. He volunteered with the Sumter Little Theatre, Civic Chorale, and could often be found playing his bass, backing up local visiting artists. [1, 2, 3] |
| MILI |
He entered the Army Air Corps early in 1947 then auditioned for, and was accepted into, the Air Force Band. He was initial cadre and a member of the original Air Force Adademy Band. He served 21 years in the AIr Force. His assignments included the premiere Air Force Ceremonial Band in Washington, D. C., and the famed Air Force Academy Band before moving to Shaw Air Force Base (Sumter County, South Carolina) in 1965. He wrote and composed “Falcon Fight,” the Air Force Academy fight song, along with numerous other scores still played and recorded today. [3] |
1930 - 2007 (77 years)
