Laura Grace Bohle Blide Sias

Laura Grace Bohle Blide Sias

Laura Grace Bohle Blide Sias, born March 20, 1923 in Chicago, Illinois passed away peacefully on October 21, 2019 at her home in Rochester Hills, Michigan.

Laura, known for her love of life, her church, golf and teaching, described herself as a music-oholic. She was involved as a musician and teacher for over 90 years. One of her first musical memories was at age 5 when she heard her neighbor practicing the piano and asked if she could watch and listen to him practice. After a year of listening, she began piano lessons from her neighbor's teacher at the Chicago Fine Arts Building.

She began violin lessons in the fifth grade and played in the Chicago Children's Festival Orchestra before becoming concertmistress of her school orchestra in the 8th grade. A highlight for Laura was the opportunity for her orchestra to play at the Chicago World's Fair "A Century of Progress" and studying with Chicago Symphony violinist Ted (Theodore) Silavin. At Austin High School the orchestra director used the seniority system seating arrangement. Since Laura did not like sitting in a back row and since there were only 3 violas, she volunteered to play the viola and was able to move up to the first chair. Shortly thereafter, her violin teacher dropped off a bass at her house with the instructions "since you play the piano, you should be able to figure out how to play the bass from the book". So, in her senior year in high school she played bass — while continuing to play viola in the string quartet with violinist Jack Pernecky, who later became associate dean of graduate studies in the music department at Northwestern University.

The Bohles were members of Medina Country Club and Laura enjoyed weekly golf lessons as a teenager with golf pro Tommy Armour who offered to make her a professional golfer. Her father thought this would be a good idea, since he was sure that she would not be able to support herself in music. Although she did choose music, she continued to play golf until 2016.

While attending Wright Junior College, Laura played in the Chicago Women's Symphony, the Grant Park Symphony and the Chicago Civic Symphony. One evening in Grant Park, Laura was approached to join the Ada Leonard's All Girl Orchestra. She joined them to play first in Denver and then as they continued a USO circuit through 48 states. While playing in Rochester, NY, Laura visited Eastman School of music, tried out for and won a full scholarship plus a position with the Rochester Philharmonic. During the summer, Laura was invited to join D'Artega's All Girl Orchestra to go on their USO tour to Italy. She received leave from Eastman and spent the next year in Italy, France, Germany and Czechoslovakia. When she returned to Eastman, Laura found that Leonard Bernstein and Eric Leinsdorf were co-conducting the Rochester Philharmonic.

After graduating from Eastman, Laura played with the San Antonio Symphony. She moved from there to Cleveland, Ohio to teach orchestra and complete her MA in Music Education at Western Reserve University. Laura then moved to Royal Oak and taught for twenty-eight years. During that time, she served as church organist and music director at Lutheran Church of the Shepherd King and Ascension of Christ. She was principal bass of the Detroit Women's Symphony, Warren Symphony, the Michigan Opera and Michigan Chamber Orchestra.

Laura attended Suzuki violin and cello workshops with Shinichi Suzuki at University of Wisconsin and in Matsumoto, Japan. She began teaching students in Royal Oak utilizing the Suzuki method and prepared many students for professional careers and the joy of playing strings. She continued to teach until October 20, 2019.

Laura served as officer for the Michigan School Band & Orchestra Association, the Michigan Unit of American String Teachers Association and the Detroit Federation of Musicians.

Laura was preceded in death by her parents Fred J. and Laura Lenox Bohle, her sister Francis Bohle Ericksona and husbands H.W. Blide and Jack Sias.

A memorial service is planned for Sunday, March 15, 2020, 3:00pm, at Beautiful Savior Luthern Church in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan.

Donations in Laura's Honor may be directed to Eastman School of Music at Rochester University, Michigan Symphony, Michigan Opera, Ascension of Christ Luthern Church, Beautiful Savior Luthern Church or the American Cancer Society.