John William Woldt

1920 - 2013

John William Woldt, 92, passed away peacefully Sunday, Jan. 27, 2013, surrounded by his loving family. Memorial service: 5 p.m. Thursday at Trinity Episcopal Church. John was born May 11, 1920, in Oshkosh, Wis., to August and Metha Woldt, the third of six children. After graduating with honors from Oshkosh High School, he continued his education, receiving a bachelor's of music from the University of Wisconsin, master's of music from Yale University, where he studied composition with Paul Hindemith, and a Ph.D. from the University of Rochester (Eastman). Intermittently, he performed on the French horn with the Hartford Symphony and the Houston Symphony. From 1943-1945, he taught at TCU before heading for Yale. In 1947, John started teaching at Baylor University and also at National Music Camp at Interlochen, Mich., where he met his wife, Harriet, who was also teaching at NMC. Married in 1950, they enjoyed 62 years together. They spent 1953-1954 in Vienna, Austria, where Harriet had a Fulbright Scholarship. John taught again at TCU from 1956-1990, becoming professor emeritus upon his retirement. During this period, he was principal horn player for several years in the opera, ballet and symphony orchestras. He was an honorary member of Pi Kappa Lambda and Phi Kappa Phi. John was also a volunteer for Meals on Wheels. John loved teaching even more than performing and received many expressions of admiration over the years from his students. After family, his greatest love was for his cottage on Lake Winnebago, built by his father in the early 1920s, where he spent every summer. He also loved traveling all over Europe and the U.S. He especially enjoyed reading, concerts, yard work and old movies. He was preceded in death by his parents; a sister, Dorothy; and brothers, Robert and Richard. Survivors: Wife, Harriet Woldt; sons, Richard Andrew Woldt, William August Woldt and Robert Oland Woldt and wife, Kathy; daughter, Constance Woldt Duckworth and husband, William; 11 grandchildren; 13 great-grandchildren; sisters, Mary Edmonds and Elizabeth Heidbrink; and many nephews and nieces.