John Roberts

John M. Roberts, 85, passed from this life on April 14, 2016. John was born in Wheeling WV on October 7, 1930; the son of John Francis and Julia Pauline (Eisenbarth) Roberts. He is survived by his wife of 33 years, Amanda-Joyce Abbott; children, Leslie Richards (John), Scott, John-Michael (Moriah), and Wendy Quesenberry (Tim); and grandchildren Morgan, Matthew, Jesse, Kaitlyn, Avery, and Justin. Throughout his life he enjoyed a diverse career as a soloist, actor, educator, Music Education Supervisor, stage director, and conductor. Growing up, John could not help but be drawn to music and the theatre. His uncle, F. Oliver Edwards was organist for the Pittsburgh Symphony, and his grandfather, Captain Ellsworth E. Eisenbarth, was the owner, director, and producer of the Eisenbarth and Henderson Floating Palace Showboat; the largest floating theatre on the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers. At the age of six, John was an altar boy singing at St. Matthew's Episcopal Church in Wheeling, West Virginia. He joined the Singing Boys of America and performed with them at the 1939 World's Fair. He graduated from Bridgeport High School in 1948 where he was active in the band, choir, and theatre. John received degrees in music from Ohio Wesleyan University and The Ohio State University with further study at Oberlin College and Eastern Michigan University. He studied choral conducting and vocal technique with Harry Robert Wilson, Louis Diercks, Peter Wilhousky, Paul Christiansen, and received a Rockefeller Grant to study with Robert Fountain. Further study was done with Robert Bowlus, Dale Gilliand and Mary Sue Hyatt. Instrumental conducting was studied with George Hardesty and Carmen Dragon. In 1954, John joined the United States Army. He was deployed to Germany where he became Assistant to the Adjutant General of the Fifth Infantry Division. His duties included arranging special activities and performances for the Division throughout the Munich area. He conducted a one hundred voice men's chorus at Berchtesgaden, and led the first performance of Handel's Messiah to be given in Germany after World War II. After leaving the service, John returned to finish his degree at Ohio State. He sang and stage directed productions for the Ohio State Music Theatre. Upon graduation, he began his public school teaching career. John spent his summers performing. He was a member of the Boris Goldovsky Opera Theatre, performed the works of Gilbert and Sullivan with the American Savoyards, and was in several off-Broadway productions. While in New York with the American Savoyards, John met Dr. James Stuart. He later worked with Stuart again when Stuart founded the Ohio Light Opera Company. He taught for the Ohio Public Schools for over thirty years teaching Choral Music, Theatre, the Arts, and Speech. Besides being the Choral and Music Theatre Director, he was also the Music Supervisor for both the Springfield (Akron) and Hudson Local School Districts. He had successful choral and theatre programs wherever he taught (Kenton, Tallmadge, Springfield, Hudson and Kent), receiving Superior ratings at Ohio Music Educator's Association District and State Competitions. An active OMEA member, he also adjudicated for Solo and Ensemble and Large Group events. In addition to public school teaching, he served as an adjunct Associate Professor on the faculty of Kent State University, where he supervised Student Teaching, and from 2003-2013 was a lecturer, and the Director of the Mount Union Alliance Chorale at the University of Mount Union. John conducted many choral groups in the Northeast Ohio area. For several years he was the Artistic Director/Conductor of the Orpheus Choral Society in Cleveland, and founded and directed the Western Reserve Chorale of Northeast Ohio. He was also the director and producer of the Olde English Yuletide Feastes held at historic Stan Hywet Hall in Akron, Ohio. He served as Director of Music at several area churches including First Presbyterian Church of Akron and most recently St. Mark Lutheran Church in Tallmadge. A celebration of life service will be held at St. Mark Lutheran Church, 158 North Ave., Tallmadge, OH at 7:00 p.m. on Monday, April 18, 2016, where the family will receive friends from 5:00 pm until the time of service. In lieu of flowers donations may be made to the Western Reserve Chorale, 3663 Mayfield Road, Cleveland Heights, OH 44118 or the Mount Union Alliance Chorale, University of Mount Union, Department of Music, 1972 Clark Avenue, Alliance, Ohio.