Nona Gainsforth Haffenreffer

Nona entered the field of orchestral horn playing when it was still largely a profession dominated by men. Women were scarce in symphonic brass sections, and more than one conductor expressed his opinion that she should be at home. Anyone who met Nona though, would soon realize that she was not someone to be deterred by a status quo that was stacked against her. She was a great and talented individual. Nona studied with the renowned Philip Farkas at Indiana University, received a Bachelor of Music degree and embarked on a major professional career of performing and teaching. She was Principal Horn of the State Orchestra of Mexico, the Regina Saskatchewan Symphony, the McGill Chamber Orchestra, the CBC Orchestra, and the Montreal Symphony. Nona’s career in Boston alone constitutes a major set of credentials. She was principal Horn of the Boston Classical Orchestra and played in the Boston Pops Esplanade Orchestra, with whom she performed in the July 4th concerts on the Esplanade for 28 summers. She played frequently in many other orchestral and chamber music concerts in the Boston area and was a faculty member at Wellesley College since the fall of 1983. Nona had also been an Instructor of French Horn at McGill University, and Philip Farkas asked her to return to Indiana University as Visiting Instructor for his horn class when he was on sabbatical. The only aspect of Nona’s life that was more important than her outstanding instrumental career was the caring for her family. Nona expertly balanced the needs of her two children. Her daughter, Anne, has a complicated seizure disorder and was in need of constant care, and her son, Hartford, is an avid student-athlete and musician. Nona attributed growing up in Ogallala, Nebraska to giving her a sense of freedom and fearless independence. As a girl, she joined her father on horseback and flew with him in his airplane as they traveled around the country. Nona’s unusual mechanical ability and affinity for hot muscle cars “cost me a year of dates.� After beating a boy in a drag race, Nona said, “None of the boys would speak to me after that. I had to import a date for the Senior Prom… and I’d do it again.� As with all the other challenges in her life, Nona’s encounter with her final illness was characterized by incredible courage and dignity. She viewed each medical event as one more obstacle to be overcome and she succeeded until the very end. She would undoubtedly be surprised at the extent of her impact on others. Her humor and spirit were a tonic to her friends, especially since those qualities stemmed from her own love of life. Her presence had the lasting effect of a particularly beautiful summer day, so gracious that it lingers in some measure for the rest of one’s life. Nona is survived by her loving children: Anne Gainsforth Haffenreffer and Hartford Livingston Haffenreffer, her sister-in-law Sandra Gainsforth, her three nephews, and many devoted colleagues and friends. Nona was predeceased by her parents: Dr. Burdett L. and Myrna Scott Gainsforth and her brother Stanley Gainsforth. A memorial service will be held on Mon June 21 at 1 PM in the Houghton Memorial Chapel at Wellesley College 106 Central St. Wellesley. Relatives and friends are kindly invited. In lieu of flowers, donations in Nona’s memory may be made to: Rettsyndrome.org/get-involved/donate-now.html