Lana Kay Leeds Swanson

Lana Kay Leeds Swanson was born July 23, 1945 to Marshall and Saralyn Kay Phillips in Dallas, Texas. Surrounded by her loving family, Lana Kay passed away peacefully on February 15, 2009 in Austin after a short, brave struggle with pancreatic cancer. Lana Kay attended Woodrow Wilson High School in Dallas, during which time she was an apprentice to organist and music director Philip Baker at Highland Park Methodist Church. Lana Kay continued studying organ and church music at The University of Texas at Austin, where also she enjoyed performing with the Longhorn Singers, attending football games, and participating in jalapeño eating contests. Lana Kay was profoundly influenced by Dr. Morris J. Beachy, who encouraged her to explore and develop her gift for teaching and directing. After being wounded in the 1966 Tower sniper shooting, Lana Kay had realized that, rather than devote the long solitary practice hours needed for organ music excellence, she wanted her music work to be with people. She refocused her studies on music education, and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Music. For 15 years, Lana Kay taught music in AISD at Cook and Highland Park Elementary schools, privately taught piano and voice, and directed numerous children's choirs in Austin churches. In 1985, she launched The Austin Childrens' Repertoire Company to provide musical performance training. ACRC gave hundreds of enthusiastic young performer's exposure to discipline, personal perfection, and hard work. In 2005, Lana began working with ZACH Theatre's Performing Arts School and was actively teaching and directing musical performances until a few weeks before her death. Throughout her life, Lana Kay had an enormous impact on numerous lives and went to great lengths to make known the love and compassion she felt for those around her. She was an unforgettable personality; countless students, fellow performers, and friends remember her zest for living life to the fullest. Lana Kay Leeds Swanson was preceded in death by her mother, Saralyn Kay Phillips and is survived by her father, Marshall Phillips of Dallas, Texas, sister, Marsha Phillips Hogue, brother-in-law Vernon Hogue, daughter Megan Mitchell of Cambridge, Massachusetts, son Stuart Mitchell of Houston, Texas and husband Murrey Swanson of Austin. The family expresses deep gratitude to Dr. Leonore B. Frierson-Stroud, and the ICU nursing staff of Seton Northwest and Seton Medical Centers' for the kindness, generosity, and compassion they showed to Lana Kay and her family. A Memorial Service celebrating the extraordinary life of Lana Kay will be at Weed-Corley- Fish Funeral Home, 3125 N. Lamar Blvd., on Friday, February 20, 2009 at 2:00 PM. Memorial contributions can be made in the memory of Lana Kay to the American Cancer Society.