Mair Alsgaard

1931 - 2022

Mair Alsgaard
Another beautiful soul has left this world, but we are so blessed for having had her in our lives.
Eluned Mair Alsgaard, 90, passed away peacefully on Friday, June 17, 2022, with her family at her side, and with many loved ones waiting to welcome her to Heaven.
She was born on December 24, 1931, in Cardiff, Wales, the only child of David Harold and Eluned Jane (Phillips) Godwin.
She grew up in the Post Office of the small Welsh coal mining village of Six Bells, Abertillery and attended Abertillery Grammar School. There she was Victrix Ludorum of the school for athletics. She became interested in music as a young girl and studied piano with Mr. Leslie James. She competed in many Eisteddfod's, winning many prizes and earned the Licentiate of the Royal Academy of Music.
She graduated from Weymouth College, associated with the Institute of Education, Southampton University where she majored in music. She was also captain of her field hockey team and a pretty good tennis player. During her college years, she came to Saginaw to visit her grandfather and family who had emigrated to the USA in 1929, and stayed with Aunt Min Godwin, Aunt Pat (Godwin) and Uncle Fred Reinbold and Grandpa George Godwin. While visiting, she was set up on a blind date by her Aunt Pat to play tennis at the Anderson Center with a young man named Richard Alsgaard whose family they knew and thought highly of. She did not know it at the time, but this meeting would change the course of her life. Richard had just graduated from University of Michigan and was subject to the Korean Conflict Draft. When Mair went back to college after her summer vacation, Mair and Richard corresponded every week (using good stamps!) while Richard was serving in the Chemical Corp in Tooele, Utah, working on nerve gas for the US army.
After two years of mail correspondence, graduation from college, and one phone call with his proposal, Mair returned to Saginaw and was married to Richard on October 9, 1954, at St. Helen's Church. They built a life together and became the proud parents of four children: David Wesley, Erik Jon, Ian Richard and Sheila Rhiannon.
Mair was active in music in the Church and was Music Director for Blessed Sacrament Church for 19 years. Later, she was Music and Liturgy Director for St. Brigid Church along with Music Resource Coordinator for the Catholic Diocese of Saginaw. After "retiring", Mair continued her love of Liturgical music and was organist and music director at St. John's Episcopal Church in Midland for many years until early 2022.
She was an active member of the Saginaw Valley chapter of the American Guild of Organists where she chaired the Scholarship committee for many years. She served as Chair of the Midland Symphony Board and was President of the Symphony League twice and received the Midland Musician of the Year award in 1976. In 1977 she received the Woman of the Year Award presented by the Midland Jaycees. She also served on the Board of Community Concerts, was a member of the Midland Historical Society, and served on the steering committee for Matrix Midland.
Her proudest accomplishments were the successes of her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. In addition to her life-long career in church music, she taught piano in the home for over 60 years, right until the end. During the height of the covid pandemic, she continued teaching piano lessons via Zoom, and even did so with her great-grandsons in Virginia. She held a special place in her heart for the many piano students in which she instilled a life-long love of music of all kinds. She also enjoyed fostering and encouraging people of all ages to support and enrich the musical arts in our community of Midland.
She enjoyed travel with her husband and sharing memories of two special trips – one to the Australian outback and a two-week rafting trip down the Grand Canyon. They also returned many times to visit Mair's relatives and old stomping grounds in Wales. She was very proud of her Welsh heritage.
Mair is pre-deceased by her parents and her beloved husband of 63 years. Left to cherish her memory are sons David and wife Kelly Busse; Rev. Erik and wife Sheila George; Ian and wife Victoria; and daughter Sheila and husband Lenny Nye. She enjoyed her grandchildren with boundless love - Zach Alsgaard and wife June; Sarah (Alsgaard) Hozumi and husband Hiro; Jacob and Dylan Nye; and Carys and Rhian Alsgaard. She also treasured her five great-grandsons, Jonathan, Michael and Leo Alsgaard, and Kaede and Haru Hozumi.
Mair's life-long legacy is that of music but will especially be remembered for giving to others above self. Her wish is that all would embrace and appreciate the gift of family, and to take a moment to cherish life with a song in their heart.
Remembrances may be made in memory of Mair to support the East Side Soup Kitchen in Saginaw; Sam's Pantry at St. John's Episcopal Church in Midland; or the National Kidney Foundation of Michigan.
Per her wishes Mair donated her body to the University of Michigan School of Medicine so that even in death she can help others. A celebration of her life is being planned for this summer. Details will be announced at a later date.
Arrangements are entrusted to Ware-Smith-Woolever Funeral Home of Midland.