Dr. Gail A. Gingery

Born on February 2, 1928, Gail was the son of Alvah and Emma (Neary) Gingery of Tiskilwa, Illinois. Gail responded to the preaching of the gospel in April of 1942 when he trusted Christ as his Savior.

Valedictorian of his high school graduating class, he declined a full scholarship to a state university and enrolled instead in Bob Jones University in 1947, where he honed his considerable musical and academic skills. A tenor, Gail sang in choirs and ensembles, performed as a soloist in opera and oratorio, and studied choral conducting and evangelistic song leading. He graduated from BJU in 1951 with a BA in voice and a minor in Italian. Awarded a graduate assistantship at BJU, he completed a masters degree in voice in 1953 before entering basic training in August of 1953 for the US Infantry at Ft. Jackson, SC.

He and Alice Christman, also a graduate of BJU, were married in her home church in Duanesburg, New York, on August 28, 1954. After a special training course, Gail served as a chaplain’s assistant in the US Army, rising to the rank of sergeant until being released from active duty on August 16, 1955.

Following his service in the army, Gail returned to BJU as a faculty member. In 1956 he assumed the office of Chairman of the Division of Music. In addition to the duties of division chair, he taught private voice and academic courses in music history, music literature, and voice methods. He played a key role in the radio outreach of WMUU by directing the radio choir. When that program ended in 1973, he directed a Vesper choir, sharing with generations of students his passion for presenting the gospel of Christ in song and his special gift for making the message clear to the listener.

In 1965, Gail completed the Doctor of Musical Arts in Voice Performance at Boston University, where he studied under David Blair McClosky, Karl Geiringer, and Hugo Norden. Though his degree commended him to a prestigious position at secular institutions, Dr. Gingery viewed his advanced preparation as a means to a broader ministry at BJU, where he chose to remain.

As a student and later as a faculty member, Gail was always involved in ministry in a local church, first as a tenor soloist, and later as music minister and elder. He was a founding member of Faith Free Presbyterian Church where he supported the faithful preaching of God’s Word with a music ministry that was biblically solid and artistically uplifting.

Dr. Gingery stepped down as music division chair at BJU in 1981 but continued as head of the voice department until his retirement in 2003, following fifty years of service. In retirement from full-time responsibility, he continued to teach voice part-time for five years and to serve as elder at his church. Age and frailty kept him from active service during his last few years, but he never lost his gentle and humble manner, and he rejoiced with every reminder that the students he trained were continuing to serve the Savior to whom he pointed them in every lesson, class, or choir rehearsal. Alice, his wife of nearly sixty-five years, said shortly after his passing into glory, “He’s singing again now, better than ever.”

Dr. Gingery is survived by his wife, Alice; daughter, Christa (Randy) Habegger and son, Philip (Becky) Gingery; sister, Lois Milton; twelve grandchildren: D. Rand (Lindsey) Habegger, Ariel (TJ) Turner, Taryn (Eric) Gamble, Adam (Erika) Gingery, Ben Gingery, Will (Hannah) Gingery, Sam Gingery, Sarah Gingery, Joseph Gingery, David Gingery, Matthew Gingery, Greyson Gingery; and thirteen great-grandchildren.

He was preceded in death by his parents; brother, Harold Gingery; and granddaughter Laura Gingery.

Visitation is from 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. on Friday, July 5, at Mackey Funerals at Woodlawn Park, 1 Pine Knoll Drive, Greenville, SC and one hour prior to the 11:00 a.m. funeral service on Saturday, July 6, at Faith Free Presbyterian Church, 1207 Haywood Road, Greenville, SC.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the Gingery-Mack Music Scholarship Fund, 4 Timbernotch Court, Taylors, SC 29687; the Gingery Fund, c/o Department of Vocal Studies, Bob Jones University, Greenville, SC 29614; or Geneva Reformed Seminary, 1207 Haywood Road, Greenville, SC 29615.