Paul Edmund Bierley

Here it is September 2016 and I notice that Paul Brierley has passed on. I am mortified and saddened that such a soul has gone and I did not find out until now. I saw, but did not meet, Mr. Brierley at the Sousa Band Centennial in Plainfield, NJ in 1992. I had taken a picture of him directing the Ridgewood Concert Band and had sent him a copy. Since then, I had purchased his books on Sousa and Fillmore with inscriptions from him, the latest on the Sousa Memoir, saying " to my good friend...".I shall treasure it. I regret not contacting him since then, but life gets in the way of most things. I shall remember him as a gentleman and a fine band historian; one that made the history personal and wonderful. March on!

I remember when Paul came to our rehearsal of the Buckeye Gray Band at Ohio State back in the 60s. He rehearsed us on Sousa's Manhattan Beach, describing the parade and the ocean waves. He made such an impression on me. I still hear all that Paul described each time I hear or play Manhattan Beach. I was so glad later to meet Paul in the late 80s when we both played in the Westerville Concert Band.....told him that I still remembered that visit to our band more than 20 years earlier. I will miss him as a friend and as a musician.

Paul Bierley was a friend of the Portsmouth
















Columbus Breakfast Group and visited with us several times. I first remember Paul from Portsmouth's Manley Church Softball Team. He was a powerful left-handed pitcher. In the early seventies he played with me on the Westerville Legion Softball team in Columbus' over sixty league. We remained friends and exchanged books each of us had written. Jeanie and I saw Paul and Jean at many Westerville restaurants. He was a solid Portsmouth/Westerville citizen whom we loved. The Marine Band had Paul lead the mf for a memorial Day service years ago. Paul was extraordinary!

What a great man. One of a kind.