Frances Strickland Redding

Beloved mother, grandmother, aunt, and friend, Mary Frances Strickland Redding, age 88, passed away peacefully in her sleep on January 23, 2025 at her home in Williamsburg, Virginia. Visitation will take place at Pugh Funeral Home on Sunday February 2, 2025 at 1:00PM. A chapel service for family and friends will be held at Pugh Funeral Home, 437 Sunset Ave., Asheboro, NC on Sunday, February 2, 2025, at 2:00 pm with burial to follow at Old City Cemetary.  If you are unable to attend in person, you may sign up for the livestream of the service here.

Frances (Fran, “Francie”), was born on March 3, 1936, in Asheboro, NC, to Hazel (“Hazie”) Eaddy Strickland and Franz Strickland, arriving on her brother Bobby’s 5th birthday. After graduating from Asheboro High School in 1954, Frances attended Duke University where in 1958 she received her Bachelor of Arts in Education. She subsequently obtained a Master of Education in 1965 and a Master of Music in 1966, both from UNC Greensboro, as well as a doctorate in curriculum from the Universita di Firenze, Italy, in 2004. Frances served as a professional educator for forty years and taught in the music departments of Appalachian State University, Duke University, and High Point College, and in K-12 schools and her private voice studio. In addition, Frances was a published journalist and penned a weekly column in the Raleigh News and Observer and the Watauga Democrat for many years.

From a very early age Frances was recognized for her outstanding soprano singing ability, and she performed with/won numerous soloist awards from Spoleto Festival, Charlotte Symphony, North Carolina Symphony, NC School of the Arts, Regional Young Artist in Voice and in Oratorio, NC Young Artist in Voice and in Oratorio, NC Metropolitan Opera, Fulbright Competition, Chicago Lyric Opera, and Maria de Varady Competition. Additionally, Frances was a soloist with the Duke Chapel Choir for more than 50 years and toured professionally with Duke's Ciompi Quartet. Locally, she became well known for singing the national anthem at Duke basketball games in Cameron Indoor Stadium, where for 20+ years she was lovingly introduced as “Duke’s own Frances Redding!” amidst thunderous cheers and applause.

Frances is survived by her daughters, Sally Redding Hanchett and Julie Szabo Schotzinger, sons-in-law James Hanchett and Robert Schotzinger, nieces Cynthia Strickland Graham, Rebecca Briles, Marianne Millikan, and Nancy Farlow, nephew Robert E. Strickland, and her grandchildren Jackson Hanchett, Logan Hanchett, Ben Hanchett, Kara Hanchett, Christopher Szabo, Jessica Szabo, and Kaitlyn Szabo. She is preceded in death by her parents; her brother Robert L. Strickland; her sister-in-law, Betty Ann Strickland; her husband of twenty years, Donald S. Redding of Asheboro; and her son Donald Redding, Jr. (“Buzzy”). Frances will be dearly missed on earth. Friends and family are taking solace knowing she has joined family members in heaven, in addition to Pope Paul VI, for whom she sang while on tour in Italy in 1968.

 Memorial donations may be made to Friends of Duke Chapel, the successful foundation that Frances founded and first directed 50 years ago: www.gifts.duke.edu/chapel.