Celia Christine DeMond

The Lord has declared that Celia DeMond has gotten in enough practice on earth and it is time to come home. Can you hear the Hallelujah Chorus? If we listen carefully, her music is even more beautiful today.

Celia Christine Mead was born to Henry and June Mead on October 2, 1945. She was their first child, but eventually she was willing to share her parents with two more siblings David Mead (Linda) and Elaine Whitney (Patrick).

Elvis had his first hit in the 50’s, but the big event of the decade was when Celia started piano lessons.

She attended Stony Point Church. There she met wonderful, life-long friends and a charming, young man named David Demond.

Celia went off to Spring Arbor College in 1964 for more music education. She couldn’t forget that handsome farmer, however, and they were married on June 11, 1966. This young wife, who was already the church pianist, worked on the farm while teaching piano.

It didn’t take long for the Piano Teacher to become Music Teacher and Solo Ensemble Accompanist. She had a studio in Hastings and then in Lake Odessa. In 1978, she went to work for Lakewood Schools Music Department and the Lakewood Area Choral Society was in her future. In 1987, she started her last church pianist job with the gracious people of Woodgrove Parish.

For 53 years Celia and her handsome farmer touched countless lives offering jobs, music lessons, love and a home. They cherished and raised: two children, Matthew DeMond and Michelle Kempinski, and 6 grandchildren.

It would be hard to find a life Celia didn’t touch whether thru lessons, at school, in a wedding or the comforting music of a funeral. She taught our parents, she taught us, she taught our children and our children’s children.

It’s easy to see that the King of Rock ‘N’ Roll and the Queen of Soul have nothing on the Sweet Sounds from our Sis. She has performed in cathedrals and venues around the world, but her heart was here with us.

She once said “Music is truly an inspiration”. We will correct her humble words by saying, she was the inspiration. She has left us her legacy of music. It’s up to us to keep her inspiration alive and share it without reservation for God’s glory.

Heaven is a little busy at the moment. Before the Hallelujah Chorus started, there was a joyful reunion when David greeted Celia at the gates of Heaven. Howard and Margaret DeMond had a table set; June Mead was hustling in from the kitchen as Henry waived his arm pointing out the seat they saved just for her. They are all singing, happy and healed and the only scars present belong to Jesus.

One last note: The word is out that she’s home and angels are already lining up for their piano lessons.