Donald Melvin Pearson

Obituary

Donald Melvin Pearson, 86 years old, died February 11, 2004, in Shell Point, Ft. Myers, Florida. He retired from Vassar College in 1982 after a tenure of 36 Û years as Professor of Music and College Organist. He was the conductor of the Vassar College Choir for 18 years, and served a term as Chairman of the Department of Music. In 1967 he designed the specifications for the 106 rank Gress-Miles organ in the Vassar College Chapel. He was a graduate of the Eastman School of Music of the University of Rochester earning the Bachelor and Master of Music degrees and was awarded the Performer's certificate. In 1956 he received a Master of Arts degree at Harvard University under a Danforth Foundation Teacher Grant, and for twelve consecutive summers he was on the faculty of the Danforth Foundation National Associates Conferences.

He was awarded two Vassar Faculty fellowships which were spent researching and playing 60 extant organs of the 17th and 18th centuries. He was a founding member of the Central Hudson Valley chapter of the American Guild of Organists. A veteran of World War II in the European theater he received the Bronze Star.

He was born March 29, 1917 in Chicago, IL and grew up in Denver, CO. The sone of Gustave and Edith Pearson, he was married for 62 years to Kathleen Funk Pearson whom he met in graduate school at the Eastman School of Music. He is survived by his wife, Kathleen; three sons, Randall (Patricia) of Pughkeepsie NY, Stephen of Cambridge MA, and Timothy (Maria) of Tilton, NH. He is survived by three grandchildren, Erica, Patrick and Lydia, and two foster grandchildren, Hannah and Noah. He had two sisters both of Dawson, GA, Eveline Johnson, deceased, and Elaine Carlson who survives him.

A memorial service is scheduled for Sunday, February 22, 2004 at 3:30PM Sanibel Congregational UCC, at 3:30 PM. Donations in lieu of flowers may be made to the Church World Service, c/o Sanibel Congregational UCC, 2050 Periwinkle Way, Sanibel FL 33957. Arrangements by Harvey-Engelhardt-Metz Funeral Home & Crematory.