George J. Reeves III

GEORGE J. REEVES, III George J. Reeves, III, age 77, died on December 31, 2009 after a year long illness. He was the son of the late George J. and Lillian (Thomsen) Reeves of Willow Grove. He is survived by a brother, David T. Reeves and a sister, Janice (Reeves) Gnospelius. Mr. Reeves was a lifelong resident of Montgomery County, Pa., and a 1950 graduate of the William Penn Charter School. He served in the U.S. Army from 1953 to 1956 and was stationed at West Point, where he was the organist at the Post Chapel. He was a well-known Philadelphia musician, both as a pianist and church organist. His musical career began at the age of 12, when he was a children's concert soloist with the Philadelphia Orchestra. While a student at the University of Pennsylvania in 1950, he was the recipient of a Theodore Presser Scholarship. His New York City debut took place at Carnegie Recital Hall in 1960. In addition to teaching privately, Mr. Reeves had been a member of the teaching faculty at the former Philadelphia Conservatory of Music, now the Philadelphia College of Performing Arts. In the 1960's, he both taught piano and coached chamber music at Swarthmore College. He served as organist at the Church of the Saviour (now the Philadelphia Cathedral) for 22 years. He was the rehearsal pianist for the University of Pennsylvania Choir from 1980 up until the time of his illness one year ago. A celebration of George's life, through worship and music, will be held at the Philadelphia Episcopal Cathedral, 3723 Chestnut Street, on January 17 at 2:00 PM. Memorials may be made to The Theodore Presser Foundation, 385 Lancaster Avenue. Haverford, Pa 19041