ROYE E. WATES

My friend left me an email message: I have had bad news. Just those few words. We´ve been friends for half a century; we taught together at Boston University in the sixties. Then I taught literature at UMass Amherst; she taught musicology at Boston University. I helped her develop her wonderful, original book on Mozart. Mostly I just cheered her on. I called back, afraid that it was cancer, and it was. Pancreatic cancer. Leaving no room for hope. I only hope it´s quick, she said. I...

My husband, Rob and I met at Roye's apartment on November 10, 1970. Roye was my humanities professor and she remained a close friend of ours over all these years. We would visit her every two years when we'd fly back east from California. We stayed at her house last summer and had our regular picnic in the Arboretum. I also dragged her through an unmarked trail. She was ageless to us. Roye lived a full and meaningful life and had a deep impact on us, our children, and all her students...

Roye Wates, "Sister Girl" to her friends growing up, was my friend at Camp Winnataska near Birmingham when we were young. Even then, she was an enthusiastic music lover, listening to Robert Shaw Chorale endlessly. We were later Pi Beta Phi's at Birmingham-Southern College together. Roye loved music, teaching, traveling and constantly learning. She will be missed by all those whose lives she touched. Ginger McVea Sharbel

Gladly I had a chance to let her know, how appreciative I was for her life, for her efforts to understand my broken English, for all the interest she had in my daughter´s college process and it was a pleasure to take care of her beautiful home for almost 17 years. I prayed to God to give her moments of peace and serenity on her last breath, and I´d like to believe she left to a great trip to gather with her loved ones. God bless and light her way to heaven! Zenaide Gross (Zina)

A neighbor and person that we held great respect for as a fiercely independent person. Roye was someone who held fast to her faith. Her courage in the last week of her life, having everything in order, and her commitment to have her last weeks be as she lived, was something to behold and admire. When she informed us she said she was not afraid, and that she was at peace. Bring her neighbor I placed the daily paper by her door, most often TV on, but as she wished - did not knock , per...

I was a student of Dr. Wates at Bosron Ynuversity's Division of General Education in the 1970 - 71 academic year. She left an indelible impression on me. May she rest in heavenly peace.

In 2018, I was fortunate to reconnect with Dr. Wates, who was my professor at Boston University from 1966-68. I sought out Dr. Wates to tell her how grateful I am that she instilled in me the love that I have today for Mozart and other classical music composers whose works she introduced in class. I last wrote to her while I was in Vienna (May 2022) to share my excitement at visiting Mozarthaus. She was excited for me and was also quick to make sure I knew that the Supreme Court ruling on Roe...

So many cherished memories of blessed moments with you. Grateful for the sharing and the trust. You graced my days.