George Robert Downer

George Robert Downer was born January 7, 1931 in a blizzard in Buffalo, NY and died April 5, 2017. Bob attended elementary school, Junior and Senior High in Washington, DC. In the school system and in the church, he discovered the joy of singing. He was a tenor soloist at Walter Reed Hospital Chapel and First Baptist Church in downtown DC. President Harry Truman attended that church and was present when Bob sang the tenor solos in Handel's "Messiah".

As a child, Bob spent many summers on a relative's farm near Batavia, NY. As a teenager, he worked at a camp on Lake Dunmore, near Brandon, Vermont. During the summer of 1949 Bob attended a 3 week Vocal camp at Westminster Choir College in Princeton, NJ. Unknowingly, Bob also met his future wife, Mildred Craven Newman. They met again in September of 1950 when each enrolled as freshmen at Westminster.

Following their freshman year, he and Mildred were each selected as members of the 40 voice touring Westminster Choir. In the following 3 years, they traveled on 3 separate extensive tours, in 23 states. They also sang 25 concerts with the New York Philharmonic in Carnegie Hall, NYC under the direction of Bruno Walter, Leonard Bernstein, Dimitri Metropolis and Guido Cantelli.

Bob graduated from Westminster in 1954 with a Bachelor of Music Degree. He and Mildred were married August 7, 1954. He earned his Masters of Music Degree in 1955.

Bob served as a Minister of Music at Second Presbyterian Church of Germantown in Philadelphia, PA from 1951 to 1954 and at Fanwood Presbyterian Church in Fanwood, NJ from 1954 to 1955.

Bob served in the United States Army from 1955 to 1957 with one of those years in Frankfort, Germany where he was assigned to the Chaplain's headquarters. Mildred and daughter Terrie joined him there.

Upon returning to the states, he was called as Minister of Music at First Baptist Church, Wilmington, NC. He served there from 1957 to 1959.

In March of 1959 he was called as Minister of Music and Worship at First Baptist Church, Austin, Texas. He stayed in that position for 35 years. In 1961, Mildred was made Assistant Minister of Music. Bob planned all of the worship services and together they directed 8 singing choirs and 3 handbell choirs. Hundreds of students sang in the graded choir program over the years many of whom chose careers in music. Bob and Mildred retired in August of 1994. Following his retirement he orchestrated an addition and remodeling of his beloved family home in Bethany Beach, Delaware.

Bob and Mildred received "The Alumni Merit Award" from Westminster Choir College, Princeton, NJ in 1987 and were later named Ministers of Music Emeritus at First Baptist Church, Austin, Texas.

He was preceded in death by his Father, George Emmon Downer, Mother, Dorothy Gravatte Downer, sister, Patricia Downer Thomas and son-in-law Stephen Loy Combs. He is survived by his wife of 63 years, Mildred Newman Downer of Virginia, daughter Teresa Downer Combs of Virginia , son Mark Elliott Downer and wife Renee Joseph Downer of Austin, Texas. He is also survived by his sister, Eloise Downer Pantermuehl of Wimberly, Texas and her husband Buddy Pantermuehl, as well as 5 grandchildren who lovingly called him Deedaddy; Preston Gill of Michigan and wife Danielle Gill; Lauren Combs, Madison Combs and fiancé Kayla See of Virginia; Ryan and Brandon Downer of Texas, 2 great grandchildren and 2 step great grandchildren of Michigan; several nieces and nephews. He is also survived by a close family friend who became like another daughter, Louise Kemp Avant.

In lieu of flowers contributions may be made to The Music Ministry of First Baptist Church, 901 Trinity St., Austin, TX 78701.