Dwight L. Gustafson

Dwight L. Gustafson

Greenville

Dwight Leonard Gustafson, 83, musician and educator, died in Greenville, South Carolina, on January 28, 2014, from complications due to liver disease. For 61 years he was the husband of Gwendolyn Adams Gustafson, with whom he had four children, sixteen grandchildren, and eight great-grandchildren. He was the longest-serving academic dean at Bob Jones University.

Dwight was born in Seattle, Washington. He was the oldest of the four children of butcher and lay preacher, Leonard Gustafson, and musician and artist, Rachel Gustafson. After graduating from Queen Anne High School in 1948, he left the family home on Lake Sammamish and went east to attend Bob Jones University in Greenville. At BJU Dwight met Gwen, and they both earned Bachelor's degrees in 1952, the year they married, and Masters degrees in 1954. He earned a Doctor of Music degree from Florida State University, but even before doing so, he became dean of the School of Fine Arts at BJU, a position he held until he retired at age 74, in 1994.

Dwight, called "Dr. Gus" by his students and colleagues, is widely known as a choral and orchestral composer and conductor. His compositions include film scores, oratorios, and operas, but his most often performed works are sacred anthems for choirs. For over six decades he led performances at BJU, at regional choral events, and at churches around the country.

Dwight is survived by his wife Gwen; his siblings Barbara Skow, Joan Cress, and Douglas Gustafson; his four children Dianne Pinner (and her husband Jay and their sons Brian and Nathan), David Gustafson (and his wife Sharon and their children Adam, Story Jones, Ansel, Susan Wright, Gray, Garrett, Sara, Sonnet, and Sigrid), Donna Pavluk (and her husband Jonathan Pavluk, and their children Anna Michael and David), and Gale Manor (and her husband Doug and their children Trevor, Sydney Dew, and Graham); and eight great-grandchildren (Abel, Gwendolyn, Mercy, and Verity Jones; Stella Gustafson; Benjamin Gustafson; Nikita Duncan, and Libby Gustafson).

The family will receive friends on Friday evening, January 31, from 6:00-9:00 p.m. at the Mackey Mortuary. A viewing will be held on Saturday, February 1, 9:00-10:00 a.m. at the War Memorial Chapel on the campus of Bob Jones University. The funeral service will follow at 11:00 a.m. in Rodeheaver Auditorium, also on the campus of BJU.

A private burial service will be held at Graceland Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the Greenville Rescue Mission of Miracle Hill Ministries or to the Dwight Gustafson Academic Scholarship at Bob Jones University.

The Mackey Mortuary. Condolences may be made on line at www.mackeymortuary.com.