Dr. Wehr passed away at his home in Baltimore, MD on Thursday, May 9, 2013 after a long battle with prostate cancer. He is survived by his wife of 56 years, Nancy Stone Wehr; son and family, Paul Wehr of WI; son David Allen Wehr of PA; and daughter Jennifer Wehr Brosky and family of MA; and three grandaughters, Elizabeth, Margaret, and Shauna.
A memorial service celebrating the life of Dr. Wehr will be held on Tuesday, May 21, 2013 at 2:00 PM at Our Lady of the Angels Chapel at the Charlestown Retirement Campus. Catonsville, MD (a suburb SW of Baltimore) Visitation with the family will be from 11:00 am – 1:00 pm prior to the service.
David A. Wehr conductor, educator and composer, earned degrees in organ, voice and conducting at Westminster Choir College. At the University of Miami, he completed a Ph.D. in conducting and choral literature with the historical study John Finley Williamson (1887-1964): His Life and Contribution to Choral Music. Dr. Wehr taught at the University of Miami, Eastern Kentucky University, and has been resource leader in workshops and festivals in twelve states. He served as Associate Conductor of the Houston Symphony Chorale, co-founded the Concert Chorale of Houston and conducted the ensemble in several performances of the complete Messiah televised nationally for PBS. Until his retirement, Dr.Wehr served as Director of Music at FUMC, Houston, and Professor of Music and Director of Choral Studies at Houston Baptist University (1979-1999). Dr. Wehr served as Director of Music at First United Methodist Church, Houston (1987-1996), Southern Hills UMC, Lexington, KY (1973-1978), and FUMC, Coral Gables, FL (1968-1971). He also served as Organist-Choirmaster-Carillonneur (1958-1968) at the Methodist Cathedral of the Rockies, Boise, ID where he and wife, Nancy, directed a music program with more than 400 participants. He prepared numerous organ/choral programs for radio/TV in the Greater Northwest, and served as dean of the Les Bois chapter, AGO. Extra-curricular activities in the Northwest included lead roles in the musicals Oklahoma, Music Man, and several operas. He also sang baritone in the NW award-winning barbershop quartet, the Gem Dandies. His Cathedral Bell Ringers toured the United States for eight years, appearing by invitation at the Seattle, New York and Montreal World’s Fairs. Wehr studied voice with John Finley Williamson and Daniel Harris, organ with Edward Mead and Alexander McCurdy, conducting with Lee Kjelson and Frederick Fennell and composition with David York, Warren Martin, George Lynn and Clifton Williams. Dr. Wehr participated in the Westminster Symphonic Choir with the New York Philharmonic under the leadership of several of the world’s renowned conductors and composers including Leonard Bernstein, Bruno Walter and Igor Stravinsky. Author of more than fifty published works, Dr. Wehr has received numerous ASCAP awards, received the Distinquished Alumnus Award from Westminster Choir College, conducted the Miami premiere of Bernstein’s Chichester Psalms, the Houston premiere of Britten’s Cantata Academica, the Kentucky premiere of Vaughan Williams’ Hodie, the Midwest premiere of Pinkham’s Fanfares, and the Southwest premiere of Rutter’s Magnificat. Having moved to Maryland in recent years with wife, Nancy, he remained active as a guest conductor and member of ACDA, AGEHR, ASCAP, and AGO until his death on May 9, 2013 in Catonsville, MD (a suburb of Baltimore).
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