Julia W. Rohr

Dr. Julia W. Rohr peacefully passed away on February 27th, 2019, in her home with her daughter by her side. Dr. Rohr enjoyed a long career in the music profession. She was a professional musician, a choir director, a public school music teacher, a private school owner, and she taught private lessons in voice, piano, violin, and accordion.

Julia was born in Fall River Massachusetts on July 13th, 1917 to Ukrainian immigrants Emily and George Wynnyk. She lived in a Ukrainian community in Swansea, MA where she spent the first five years of her life speaking only the Ukrainian language. Elementary school was difficult for her because she had to learn a new language but almost immediately, she found a universal language that she loved, music! At the age of seven, she began playing the violin. She loved the instrument and practiced every spare minute. As she grew older, she worked to pay for her own lessons. One of her high school jobs was as a seamstress. While working in that job, she accidentally pricked her finger, resulting in blood poisoning. The treatments caused her finger to become thinner than normal and made it very difficult to play the violin, so she had to switch to viola which had thicker strings. She continued to play professionally for many years. In addition, she learned to play the piano and the accordion. She also sang professionally in college and after graduation.

It was in college at Shenandoah Conservatory in Winchester, Virginia that she met Arthur Rohr who became her college sweetheart. Immediately after graduation, they married and moved to Kannapolis, North Carolina with Arthur’s elderly parents. Both Arthur and Julia began teaching in the public schools there and Julia also directed the first of many church choirs.

Julia and Arthur moved to Sarasota in 1953 with their seven year old daughter, Julie Ann, and Arthur’s mother. Julia taught in the Sarasota County Public Schools for thirty years. She traveled to all elementary schools in Sarasota teaching general music and violin, taught chorus at Brookside Junior High, taught orchestra at Riverview High, and taught chorus at Sarasota High. She was choir director at First Presbyterian Church for five years, for Bee Ridge Presbyterian for forty-five years, and for the Sarasota Choral Society for thirty-eight years. She also founded and directed the Sarasota Boys’ Choir and the Sarasota Girls’ Choir. While doing all of the above she continued to play viola in the Florida West Coast Symphony and direct the Shriners Chorus.

Julia and Arthur opened Arthur Smith Music Company in downtown Sarasota where she taught violin, accordion, voice, and the Yamaha Piano Method. Julia then opened her own private music studio. In 1974 she founded Julie Rohr Academy on Fruitville Road which is still operating today. Julia taught private lessons at Julie Rohr Academy until her official retirement at age 96.

Dr. Rohr’s contributions to the community have been recognized through many honors. She won the Governor’s Award for the Arts in 1976, Woman of the Year Award from VFW Post 3233 Ladies Auxiliary, and Patriot of the year Award for the 1976 Bicentennial Celebration. At the 60th Anniversary Gala Performance of the Christmas portion of Handel’s Messiah given by the Sarasota Choral Society, she was honored by receiving a proclamation from the city of Sarasota honoring her years of dedication in the teaching of music to the citizens of Sarasota. November 28th, 2004 was declared “Dr. Julia W. Rohr Day”! She has traveled internationally, met and performed for United States Presidents and State Governors, and received numerous honors for her extensive work in every aspect of music. She has touched the lives of many people in the Sarasota community, both young and old.

Dr. Rohr is survived by her daughter, Julie Rohr McHugh, five grandsons Michael, Mark, Matthew, Martin, and Mitchell McHugh, two grand daughters-in-law Andrea and Kyoko McHugh, significant others Krista Hodges and Lauren Nielsen, and six great-grandchildren Sienna, Michael, Macy, Brooks, Julian, and Brittney. She will be greatly missed by her family and the community.

There will be a visitation from 5:00 PM to 8:00 PM on Monday, March 4th, at Palms Memorial Park/Robert Toale and Sons Funeral Home at 170 Honore Ave., and a Celebration of Life Service at Pine Shores Presbyterian Church at 10:30 AM on March 23rd, which will conclude with everyone who ever sang under Julia’s direction joining together to sing the Hallelujah Chorus from the Messiah which she most loved to direct.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in honor of Julia Rohr to the Any Given Child Fund to support arts education at the Community Foundation of Sarasota, 2635 Fruitville Road, Sarasota, FL 34237.