IAN KEITH EDLUND Aug 26, 1942 Feb 29, 2020 Ian was born in Toledo, Washington, to Gordon and Bessie Edlund. Growing up in Hoquiam, he played cello and bassoon, as well as bass in a dance band, "The Dew Drops." Ian graduated from Hoquiam High School in 1960. He earned a BA (1965) and MA (1968) in music from Washington State University. While at WSU, he played with the Spokane Symphony. During his junior year of university, he taught choir in Colton, WA. Asked to form a band, he needed students from the Catholic high school. He was the first in the state to start a program with private/public school cooperation. Ian moved to Lacey, WA in 1965 to be the sole orchestra teacher in North Thurston School District with just 5 high school students. He married Marjorie Owes of Spokane in 1966. He retired from NTSD in 1995. In 1970, he took over the Symphonic Strings, which he turned into a full orchestra. Renamed the Olympia Symphony Orchestra, it was conducted and led by Ian for 27 years. In 1976, Ian formed his company, String Instrument Specialists, starting with repairs and expanding to importing and sales. He worked with teachers and students throughout the U.S. From 1990 to 2012, he led the annual Birch Bay String Teachers' Workshop, the largest of its type in the country. As a composer Ian has published over 70 orchestral pieces. Ian's many awards included the ASTA (American String Teachers Association) national award for Outstanding String Teacher of 1995. In February 2020, the state chapter ASTA honored Ian with their award for Outstanding Contributions to String Education. He was chosen Person of the Year by Masterworks in 1997. Ian enjoyed golfing, hiking and backpacking with friends and family. He loved working on cars and designed and built two houses. Ian and Marj traveled extensively throughout their life together. Their most cherished trips and celebrations have been with family. Ian took camping trips with his grandchildren and continued playing cello in groups until his illness. In the fall of 2019, Ian was diagnosed with chronic myeloid monocytic leukemia. He spent six months in Seattle for treatment, until he died of pneumonia. He is survived by his wife Marj, daughter Karin and her husband Karim Taifour, daughter Kristin and her husband Ken Rosenow, and three grandsons: Gordon Taifour, Zak Taifour, and Hugh Rosenow. He was preceded in death by his parents and brother Eric Edlund. A memorial service will be held on Saturday, March 28, 2020, at 11:30am, at the James Koval Center for the Performing Arts. Memorials may be made to the North Thurston Education Foundation (PO Box 3312, Lacey, WA 98509, 360-790-6548, ntef.org) or The United Churches of Olympia (110 Eleventh Ave SE, Olympia, WA 98501, 360-943-1210, theunitedchurches.org).

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Published by The Olympian on Mar. 11, 2020.

Memories and Condolences
for Ian Edlund

4 Entries

Mary-Cathern (Scott) Miller-Holloway

July 2, 2020

Gordon and Bessie were friends of my mother...and Gordon was my orchestra teacher in junior high and high school. He was also a friend. I met Ian when in high school...probably during his breaks from WSU. I was so impressed with his playing and droll sense of humor. Both Gordon and Ian were encouraging....at 73, I'm still playing the cello. Awesome mentors.

April 5, 2020

Dear Mrs. Edlund and family,
I was one of the Catholic school kids in Colton Washington that Ian (Mr. Edlund to us!) recruited when he started the band program there. I was in 8th grade and my friends and I were thrilled to be part of a band! It was so fun to be in a band and make "big" music together--as much music as maybe 12 students could make. Ian also taught me choir in high school and also was a choir teacher at WSU summer music camps that I was fortunate enough to attend. He was a very gifted musician although I never heard him play the cello until many years later when my husband and I moved to Olympia. When I saw his obituary in the paper I was surprised to see that he was only 7 years older than me because as a teacher he always seemed to be decades older. Those of us in his start up band in Colton will always remember him fondly. My sympathies to you and your family.
Sincerely,
Jeanniene Kirpes Robinson

Christie Easter

March 27, 2020

Mr Edmund was my orchestra teacher in the 1970's as well as teaching me the cello privately when I was a teenager. He gave me a deep and abiding love for the cello that continues to this day and a great technical and artistic foundation to the music that I still play daily. Though I did not choose a career in music, it has always been a huge part of my life, and now that I am retired from a career in health care I can spend much more time playing the cello, violin and guitar. Most of my cello playing is acoustic bluegrass music, I know that would make Mr Edmund shudder! But every time I am asked where did you learn to play the cello like that? I think of him fondly. Music brings people together, and he gave me that wonderful gift. I wish I could thank him personally.
Sincerely,
Christie Scott Easter
Toledo, Wa

Tom & Mary Beth Anderson

March 18, 2020

Dear Edlund family,

Know you are in our prayers. Remembering you all, we were thinking of our serendipitous meeting while camping at Colter Bay in the Tetons. Our girls were in grade school at the time.

Ian gave so much to his family, community, profession and too many students to mention. What a life of blessing others with kindness and music.
Fondly, Tom and Mary Beth Anderson

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