Robert W. Demaree, Jr. was born on April 10, 1937, in Noblesville, Indiana, the only child of Robert W. and Winona K. Demaree. Active in music at an early age, he performed in dance bands, choral groups, and musical theater shows in addition to piano study and composing and arranging. After graduating from Greenwood High School in 1955, he enrolled in the School of Music at Indiana University where he joined the Singing Hoosiers, where he made several lifelong friends, including Roger and Jeanne Fortna. Just before his senior year, he was accepted into The United States Army Chorus. During his service time, he performed before four current or future presidents as well as heads of state from around the world. In Washington he met his beloved, Lynn Ohashi, and they married at Grace Episcopal Church, Alexandria on June 4, 1960.
After his Army service ended, he returned to Indiana University to earn three degrees, studying under Ralph Appelman, Bernard Heiden, Julius Herford, George Krueger, Vernon Kliewer, and William Christ, and serving as assistant to Dean Wilfred Bain. While completing his doctoral work, he was appointed founding Director of the Music Department at the South Bend campus of Indiana University in 1965. In addition to founding the fledgling program, he quickly established and directed choral ensembles that eventually evolved into the South Bend Symphonic Chorus. They performed major works with the South Bend Symphony and operas with the Michiana Opera Guild.
A builder of both the music program and music in the community, he helped found the South Bend Youth Symphony, which recently celebrated its 50th anniversary; the Michiana Boys Choir; and established the Martin Endowed Chair in Piano, originally staffed by Alexander Toradze. Eventually he was promoted to Dean of the Arts where he oversaw theatre, speech, and art as well as music. He was a brilliant scholar and teacher of music theory and history, and the progress of his students was a passion. Among those whose lives he influenced are operatic baritone Nathan Gunn and the conductor of the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, Robert Spano. He is author or co-author of several books, including The Complete Conductor, Face to Face with an Orchestra, and The Masses of Joseph Haydn, written with his close friend Don V Moses. His final writing project, with co-author and dear friend Robert Hamilton, will be published in 2021.
Bob is survived by his wife Lynn, son Robert K. (Rebekah) Demaree, daughter Victoria (Joseph) Shively, and five grandchildren: Robert Landon Shively, Benjamin (Andrea McNett), Rachael, Nicholas, and Allison Demaree.
Arrangements are being made by Pixley Funeral Home in Auburn Hills, MI. Because of the COVID-19 outbreak, no immediate plans are being made for a memorial service.
In lieu of flowers or other gifts, the family requests that donations be made to any of the following charities:
--the Alzheimer’s Association online at www.alz.org,
--the Indiana University at South Bend Library
https://library.iusb.edu/about-us/donation.html
--the Rector’s Discretionary Fund;
Andrew Guffey, Priest-in-Charge
St. Mary’s In-The-Hills Episcopal Church
2512 Joslyn Court
Lake Orion, MI 48360
Phone: 248-391-0663
--Benzie Area Christian Neighbors
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