Jack Roland Lister Jr.

Roland was a lifelong resident of Southside and graduated from Southside High School, Class of 1965. He was a member of the Pride of Southside marching band where he won multiple awards for his musicianship.

He received a B.S. degree in Music Education from Jacksonville State University, where he marched euphonium in the JSU Marching Southerners and was a member of the Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia fraternity. He went on to complete a masters degree in School Administration from the University of Alabama.

Roland devoted the next 50 years to teaching music throughout the Gadsden area. He began his career as a band director at Glencoe High School, taught band and choral at Cory and Litchfield, and later went on to organize and conduct the Gadsden City School System’s first full symphony orchestra.

He retired from the Gadsden City School System in 1998 and began working as the Associate Conductor of the Etowah Youth Orchestra and Principal Conductor of the June Moore Bugg Prelude Strings. He also served as an instructor for the EYO’s Beginning and Intermediate Strings Program in the Etowah County and Attalla City School Systems.

In 2000, he served as the conductor of the Premiere String Orchestra at the Alabama All-State Orchestra Festival, and in 2003 he was chosen as conductor of the All-West Tennessee String Orchestra in Memphis. He conducted performances of the Etowah Youth Orchestra at Carnegie Hall in 2002 and again in 2007. He also conducted the orchestra at the Royal Elizabethan Shakespeare Theatre in Stratford, England. His string orchestra was invited to perform a concert for the Alabama Music Educators Association Conference where he twice served as a clinician. In 2007, Roland was selected as Teacher of the Year by the Alabama chapter of ASTA, and was inducted into the Alabama Music Educators Association’s Hall of Fame in 2009.

In addition to teaching multiple generations of students, Roland served as past choir director at Eastside Presbyterian, Rainbow City United Methodist and Southside United Methodist Church, and taught the Pathfinders Sunday School class at SUMC for many years.

He is preceded in death by his wife of 49 years, Debra Ann Lister, and parents Jack Roland Sr. and Jeffie Lister.

He is survived by his children, Jenny (Mathew) Moon, Philip Lister, and Jessica Lister (Adam Bulgatz); his grandchildren, Isaac Mathew Moon, Ian Henry Moon, and Miles Archer Moon; and his sister Nancy (Mike) Porter.

Visitation will be held on Sunday, August 17, from 2:00 to 4:00 at Southside United Methodist Church, 2438 Cedar Bend Road N, Southside AL, 35907. A funeral service will follow at 4:00.