Ronald Lee Shirey, 76, passed away Sunday, Nov. 1, 2009.
Ronald was born Jan. 18, 1933, in Tulsa, Okla., the only child of Opal and William Levi Shirey. He graduated from Northeast High School in Oklahoma and began his studies at Tulsa University with graduate studies at University of Texas at Austin and Arizona State University. He married Alpha Jane Savenius on Nov. 18, 1956, who also graduated with a music degree from Tulsa University.
Mr. Shirey's music career began at Edison High School in Tulsa, continued at Del Mar College in Corpus Christi and at Eastern New Mexico University in Portales, N.M. He came to TCU in 1976 as the director of choral activities and that same year also assumed the job of choirmaster at University Christian Church, both positions he held until his death.
Mr. Shirey was chorus director for the Dallas Symphony Orchestra from 1983 until 1993, during which time he conducted both the Dallas Symphony Orchestra and Chorus, and prepared them for works by Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven, Prokofieff, Orff, Brahms, Verdi, Mahler, Poulenc and Bernstein for conductors Robert Shaw, Eduardo Mata, John Nelson and Jerzy Semkow. He prepared and conducted the Mozart Grand Mass in C Min (K.427A) with the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra in 1993.
He later established the Fort Worth-Texas Christian University Symphonic Chorus, which has performed at Carnegie Hall in New York on six occasions including multiple appearances with Skitch Henderson and Doc Severenson with the New York Pops.
Professor Shirey was a member of Texas Music Educators Association and American Choral Directors Association. Since he came to TCU, the university's choirs have been featured in multiple performances for the ACDA and TMEA conventions. Three ACDA national conventions in San Diego, Chicago and San Antonio have featured the TCU Chorale in one venue or another and seven TMEA conventions have featured TCU choir performances.
He was respected among colleagues as dedicated to and passionate about music, always striving to achieve the finest performance possible from any group under his baton. But, he also enjoyed spending time with his family, watching professional and college sports, or the peace and quiet of the mountains surrounding his vacation home in Red River, N.M.
Survivors: His wife of 53 years, Alpha; sons, Steve Shirey and his wife, Darlene, Greg Shirey and his wife, Joslyn, of Fort Worth and Kevin Shirey of Austin; and granddaughter, Cady Shirey and her husband, Ben Richmond, of Richmond, Va.
Memorial service: 4 p.m. Friday at University Christian Church. Visitation: 5 to 7 p.m. Thursday at Thompson's Harveson & Cole.
Memorials: Gifts in his memory may be made to the Music Fund University Christian Church, 2720 S. University Drive, Fort Worth, Texas 76109.
Published by Star-Telegram on Nov. 4, 2009.
Ronald was born Jan. 18, 1933, in Tulsa, Okla., the only child of Opal and William Levi Shirey. He graduated from Northeast High School in Oklahoma and began his studies at Tulsa University with graduate studies at University of Texas at Austin and Arizona State University. He married Alpha Jane Savenius on Nov. 18, 1956, who also graduated with a music degree from Tulsa University.
Mr. Shirey's music career began at Edison High School in Tulsa, continued at Del Mar College in Corpus Christi and at Eastern New Mexico University in Portales, N.M. He came to TCU in 1976 as the director of choral activities and that same year also assumed the job of choirmaster at University Christian Church, both positions he held until his death.
Mr. Shirey was chorus director for the Dallas Symphony Orchestra from 1983 until 1993, during which time he conducted both the Dallas Symphony Orchestra and Chorus, and prepared them for works by Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven, Prokofieff, Orff, Brahms, Verdi, Mahler, Poulenc and Bernstein for conductors Robert Shaw, Eduardo Mata, John Nelson and Jerzy Semkow. He prepared and conducted the Mozart Grand Mass in C Min (K.427A) with the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra in 1993.
He later established the Fort Worth-Texas Christian University Symphonic Chorus, which has performed at Carnegie Hall in New York on six occasions including multiple appearances with Skitch Henderson and Doc Severenson with the New York Pops.
Professor Shirey was a member of Texas Music Educators Association and American Choral Directors Association. Since he came to TCU, the university's choirs have been featured in multiple performances for the ACDA and TMEA conventions. Three ACDA national conventions in San Diego, Chicago and San Antonio have featured the TCU Chorale in one venue or another and seven TMEA conventions have featured TCU choir performances.
He was respected among colleagues as dedicated to and passionate about music, always striving to achieve the finest performance possible from any group under his baton. But, he also enjoyed spending time with his family, watching professional and college sports, or the peace and quiet of the mountains surrounding his vacation home in Red River, N.M.
Survivors: His wife of 53 years, Alpha; sons, Steve Shirey and his wife, Darlene, Greg Shirey and his wife, Joslyn, of Fort Worth and Kevin Shirey of Austin; and granddaughter, Cady Shirey and her husband, Ben Richmond, of Richmond, Va.
Memorial service: 4 p.m. Friday at University Christian Church. Visitation: 5 to 7 p.m. Thursday at Thompson's Harveson & Cole.
Memorials: Gifts in his memory may be made to the Music Fund University Christian Church, 2720 S. University Drive, Fort Worth, Texas 76109.
Published by Star-Telegram on Nov. 4, 2009.
Ronald Lee Shirey, 76, passed away Sunday, Nov. 1, 2009.
Ronald was born Jan. 18, 1933, in Tulsa, Okla., the only child of Opal and William Levi Shirey. He graduated from Northeast High School in Oklahoma and began his studies at Tulsa University with graduate studies at University of Texas at Austin and Arizona State University. He married Alpha Jane Savenius on Nov. 18, 1956, who also graduated with a music degree from Tulsa University.
Mr. Shirey's music career began at Edison High School in Tulsa, continued at Del Mar College in Corpus Christi and at Eastern New Mexico University in Portales, N.M. He came to TCU in 1976 as the director of choral activities and that same year also assumed the job of choirmaster at University Christian Church, both positions he held until his death.
Mr. Shirey was chorus director for the Dallas Symphony Orchestra from 1983 until 1993, during which time he conducted both the Dallas Symphony Orchestra and Chorus, and prepared them for works by Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven, Prokofieff, Orff, Brahms, Verdi, Mahler, Poulenc and Bernstein for conductors Robert Shaw, Eduardo Mata, John Nelson and Jerzy Semkow. He prepared and conducted the Mozart Grand Mass in C Min (K.427A) with the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra in 1993.
He later established the Fort Worth-Texas Christian University Symphonic Chorus, which has performed at Carnegie Hall in New York on six occasions including multiple appearances with Skitch Henderson and Doc Severenson with the New York Pops.
Professor Shirey was a member of Texas Music Educators Association and American Choral Directors Association. Since he came to TCU, the university's choirs have been featured in multiple performances for the ACDA and TMEA conventions. Three ACDA national conventions in San Diego, Chicago and San Antonio have featured the TCU Chorale in one venue or another and seven TMEA conventions have featured TCU choir performances.
He was respected among colleagues as dedicated to and passionate about music, always striving to achieve the finest performance possible from any group under his baton. But, he also enjoyed spending time with his family, watching professional and college sports, or the peace and quiet of the mountains surrounding his vacation home in Red River, N.M.
Survivors: His wife of 53 years, Alpha; sons, Steve Shirey and his wife, Darlene, Greg Shirey and his wife, Joslyn, of Fort Worth and Kevin Shirey of Austin; and granddaughter, Cady Shirey and her husband, Ben Richmond, of Richmond, Va.
Memorial service: 4 p.m. Friday at University Christian Church. Visitation: 5 to 7 p.m. Thursday at Thompson's Harveson & Cole.
Memorials: Gifts in his memory may be made to the Music Fund University Christian Church, 2720 S. University Drive, Fort Worth, Texas 76109.
Published by Star-Telegram on Nov. 4, 2009.
Ronald was born Jan. 18, 1933, in Tulsa, Okla., the only child of Opal and William Levi Shirey. He graduated from Northeast High School in Oklahoma and began his studies at Tulsa University with graduate studies at University of Texas at Austin and Arizona State University. He married Alpha Jane Savenius on Nov. 18, 1956, who also graduated with a music degree from Tulsa University.
Mr. Shirey's music career began at Edison High School in Tulsa, continued at Del Mar College in Corpus Christi and at Eastern New Mexico University in Portales, N.M. He came to TCU in 1976 as the director of choral activities and that same year also assumed the job of choirmaster at University Christian Church, both positions he held until his death.
Mr. Shirey was chorus director for the Dallas Symphony Orchestra from 1983 until 1993, during which time he conducted both the Dallas Symphony Orchestra and Chorus, and prepared them for works by Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven, Prokofieff, Orff, Brahms, Verdi, Mahler, Poulenc and Bernstein for conductors Robert Shaw, Eduardo Mata, John Nelson and Jerzy Semkow. He prepared and conducted the Mozart Grand Mass in C Min (K.427A) with the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra in 1993.
He later established the Fort Worth-Texas Christian University Symphonic Chorus, which has performed at Carnegie Hall in New York on six occasions including multiple appearances with Skitch Henderson and Doc Severenson with the New York Pops.
Professor Shirey was a member of Texas Music Educators Association and American Choral Directors Association. Since he came to TCU, the university's choirs have been featured in multiple performances for the ACDA and TMEA conventions. Three ACDA national conventions in San Diego, Chicago and San Antonio have featured the TCU Chorale in one venue or another and seven TMEA conventions have featured TCU choir performances.
He was respected among colleagues as dedicated to and passionate about music, always striving to achieve the finest performance possible from any group under his baton. But, he also enjoyed spending time with his family, watching professional and college sports, or the peace and quiet of the mountains surrounding his vacation home in Red River, N.M.
Survivors: His wife of 53 years, Alpha; sons, Steve Shirey and his wife, Darlene, Greg Shirey and his wife, Joslyn, of Fort Worth and Kevin Shirey of Austin; and granddaughter, Cady Shirey and her husband, Ben Richmond, of Richmond, Va.
Memorial service: 4 p.m. Friday at University Christian Church. Visitation: 5 to 7 p.m. Thursday at Thompson's Harveson & Cole.
Memorials: Gifts in his memory may be made to the Music Fund University Christian Church, 2720 S. University Drive, Fort Worth, Texas 76109.
Published by Star-Telegram on Nov. 4, 2009.
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