Anna Montgomery Farish

1936 - 2018

Anna Montgomery Farish Anna Montgomery Farish, 82, of Denton passed away on July 2, 2018 in Denton. She was born on April 8, 1936 to Alvis David and Mary Lewis (Kimbrough) Montgomery) in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. She was a graduate of Reidsville High School (NC) and East Carolina University where she double majored in Music and Business. She married Stephen Thomas Farish, Jr. in Greenville, NC on May 31, 1958. They had two children, Stephen David Farish and Virginia Kay "Viki" Farish Lozano.

For over 50 years, she taught music and piano, first at Les Mills Studios and the Selwyn School, and then for the vast majority of her professional life as owner/operator of the Anna Farish Studio. At various points in her career she was teaching over 150 students a week in private lessons, and she continued to teach until the week of her passing. In addition to the 100s of students she taught over the years, she was perhaps best known for the work she did creating and leading the Denton Piano Ensemble Teams. For over 40 years she annually prepared and directed four teams (elementary, middle school, high school, and post-high school) of 20 piano students selected by competitive audition playing together as one team. Those teams were seen as the standard setters for piano ensemble performance. She was a member of St. Andrew Presbyterian Church, the Denton Music Teachers Association (Past President), the Texas Music Teachers Association, and the Music Teachers National Association.

She is survived by her son, David Farish and his wife Melissa Farish of Flower Mound, sister, Mary Lou Oliver of Hot Springs, Arkansas and two grandchildren, Caroline Annyce Farish and Montgomery Cruz "Monty" Lozano, and many other extended family. She is preceded in death by her husband, Dr. Stephen T. Farish, Jr., daughter Viki Lozano, and her parents. A memorial service will be held on Saturday, July 14, 2018 at 3:00 P.M. at St. Andrew Presbyterian Church on Denton celebrating her life, her fondness for piano students of all ages, and her love of music. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Anna Farish Memorial Fund of the Denton Music Teachers Association c/o Denton Area Teachers Credit Union.