Felisa Jane Taylor Hundley

Felisa Jane Taylor HUNDLEY Felisa Jane Taylor Hundley died July 26, 2010 at Virginia Mason Hospital surrounded by loving family reciting scripture and singing music she loved. She was the youngest of five children born to Professor Samuel S. Taylor and Exie Carter Taylor. Felisa attended public and private schools and graduated with honors from Dunbar High School in Little Rock. She accepted a scholarship to Philander Smith College and after two years transferred to the University of California at Berkeley where she received her Bachelor of Arts in Music in 1955. She did graduate study in Ethnomusicology and Theory and Composition at the University of Washington and also did Graduate work in Church Music at Seattle Pacific University. Felisa came from a musical family and began her career as a musician at ten years old, playing for her father who was also an ordained Methodist Minister while he was teaching at Philander Smith College. She sang for a radio show in Little Rock at the tender age of 2. She married Hugh Fountain, Esq. and to that union, two sons were born Hugh E. Fountain III and Michael Raymond. After a divorce, she met and married the love of her life, Walter R. Hundley, who also had two sons. The blended family was devoted to her and each other. As the four boys grew up, Felisa went back to school to learn tailoring to make slacks and Jackets for her four six-foot sons. Felisa began her teaching career with Seattle Public Schools in 1963, teaching Music and English at McClure Middle School from which she retired in 1993. She was organist for the First African Methodist Episcopal Church for 30 years; She was also Music Director at Washington Park Baptist Church and organist for Mount Zion Baptist Church for six years. After her retirement she continued to work with private students, some who are now pursuing outstanding music careers. During her forty-one year marriage to Walter Hundley, she experienced a great deal of stress due to his commitment as a civil rights activist during the 1960s. She was ever by his side. She was a Life Member of the NAACP, CORE, Board Member of Iwajo Dance; member of the Metropolitan Opera of New York: a member of the Music Education Conv. And Board Member of the Black Heritage Society. She was preceded in death by her husband Walter R. Hundley, her parents; her twin brothers Marshall and Monroe Taylor. She is survived by her sons, Hugh Fountain, David Hundley (Abigail), Evan Hundley, Michael Fountain (Leslie); three sisters, Yvonne Beatty (Cecil), Jessie K. Wilson, Clara Sudduth (Elon); Godson, Cecil Beatty-Yasutake; four grandchildren, Andrew, Jessica, Aaron, Lena; two cousins, Samuel Rivers and Marie Maxwell; best friend, Claudia Herald and numerous nieces and nephews, three of whom she helped raise: Reverend Pamela Grace Beatty, Phyllis Yasutake and Marsha Taylor-Holland. We will truly miss our beloved Felisa. Memorial service to be held at First A.M.E. Church, August 27 at 11:00 a.m. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the FAME Music Ministry or FAME Scholarship Ministry, 1522 14th Avenue, Seattle, WA 98122.