We welcome the following new members

for the 2023-2024 Season!

Kelly Luther Stultz

Neshawn calloway

Nancy Kaib

STACI SPRING

DALE CADWALLADER

LAURIE REDMER CADWALLADER

LEILANA JANE ROSE

*** Click here to see our dearly departed members ***

HOW TO BECOME A MEMBER OF THE CHATTANOOGA MUSIC CLUB

To become a member of the CMC, the applicant must be recommended by a current member. Two other members of the club who know the applicant personally must also provide an endorsement.  Information about the applicant is then relayed to the Board of Directors for a vote of acceptance.  Once accepted, the new member is required to pay annual dues.  The initial dues may be pro-rated based on what point in the current music season (June 1 through May 31) the person joins.

Currently, dues are $35 per year for individual, $55 for couples, and should be paid each year by
1. mailing a check to the Chattanooga Music Club, P.O. Box 21572, Chattanooga, TN 37424. Please make out the check to Chattanooga Music Club.
2. paying online via Paypal or by credit or debit card on our Donations & Purchases page
3. when paying or renewing your annual dues, please provide us with your updated contact information, and list of interests and ways you would like to serve the club. You can do it on this website, by visiting our Contact Information page and filling out our electronic form.

All members are encouraged to preserve, promote and encourage the fine arts, particularly music.

Although many of the Club’s members are musicians, there are no requirements that a member be a musician; some members are simply music lovers.

Member News

2022:

We congratulate Dr. Lynn Worcester-Jones and husband Patrick on the birth of their daughter Lucille “Lucy” Lynn Jones on August 24, 2022. Big brother Shep is also very proud! Lucy weighed in at 7 pounds 2 ounces, and 19 inches at birth. Mom and baby are doing well.

2021:

Charlynne and Admiral Vance Fry share the Chattanooga Central High School Distinguished Alumni for 2020 -2021. They were named Mr. and Miss Central High Class of 1954. Ms. Latham nominated them and consequently they presented Central High’s class night awards.

Mrs. Viktoria Lindsay, Director of Ridgedale School of Fine Arts (RSFA), said the school will have 170 students enrolled this year for music and art instruction. RSFA students regularly attain notable recognition in auditions and competitions local and state levels through Chattanooga and Tennessee Music Teachers Associations, Guild, and Federation Graduates of RSFA have won college scholarships provided by Chattanooga Music Club

Katheron Latham has received the Chattanooga Music Teachers Association professional development grant to attend the 2021 Virtual Tennessee Arts Academy, hosted by the Tennessee Department of Education.

Dr Sigrid Luther competed in the Ms Tennessee Senior America pageant on April 17, 2021, at the Palace Theatre in Crossville, TN. Dr. Luther was selected as First Runner Up Mrs. Senior America State Pageant this Spring. She was given First Place in the Interview category. She presented a beautiful rendition of her shortened arrangement of Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue.

Three CMC members served as adjudicators for the Federation Festival of Young Musicians Auditions and Competition in March 2021:
- Dr Lynn Worcester Jones
- Katheron R Lathan, NCTM
- Charlynne H Fry, NCTM

2020:

September 6, 2020 - CONGRATULATIONS to Dr Lynn Worcester Jones and Patrick Jones on the birth of their son, Sheperd Mark, at 11:24 p.m., weighing in at 8 lbs, 14 oz and 21.5 inches long. Both Mom and baby are healthy and happy. The Jones family is in pure bliss loving this little man, and expresses praise to God for this blessing.

In Memoriam

2024:

March 14, 2024 - The Chattanooga Music Club mourns the loss of long-time member (Johanna) Rita Vital, who passed away peacefully with her family by her side, at the age of 93. Funeral arrangements are being coordinated by the Heritage Funeral Home at 7454 East Brainerd Road with visiting hours on Sunday, March 17, from 10 AM to 2PM.

A private family burial service will occur later in the afternoon in Wildwood, Georgia beside her parents. A memorial service and celebration of life for Rita will be held in Collegedale, to be announced at a later date.

Brief Bio:

Rita was born in Brooklyn New York on March 26, 1930, from German immigrant parents. She loved American and European history and traveled to Europe several times as a child. On board the transatlantic trips she played chess and fostered her love of adventure and travel. Throughout her life she visited over 50 countries. She lived a long and bountiful life and had a passion for public health, Christian education, and friends. She married returning World War II veteran Leo Vital in 1951.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Clemens Joseph, and Katharina Emily Meyer. She is survived by her brother, Jerry Myers (Linda), and her children, Greg Vital, Leta Meyers, and Kathy (Doug) Kane.

She received her Master’s Degree in Public Health from the University of Tennessee in Knoxville in 1985.

When it was time to slow down, she returned to the Chattanooga area in 2000 to be close to her children. Rita’s devotion to the Lord and all things spiritual was foremost in her life. She was a longtime member of Collegedale Seventh-Day Adventist Church.

Rita will be missed by legions who rejoice in the knowledge that she is now with the Lord. Rita’s favorite Bible verse was from Revelations 2:10, which includes ”Be thou faithful until death”.

More information about Rita can be found, and opportunities to share tributes and condolences to the family at https://www.heritagechattanooga.com/tributes/JohannaRita-Vital.

Memorial gifts may be made to the Rita Vital Endowed Scholarship for Faith and Service Learning: Attention Southern Adventist University Advancement Department, the Chattanooga Music Club, Maranatha Volunteers International, or the Land Trust for Tennessee.

2023:

November 15, 2023 - We mourn the losss of former Chattanooga Music Club member Betty Jean Payne. She was predeceased by her husband Gerald E Payne, who was also a member of the CMC.

Born in Gadsden, AL to the late Robert Vennett Kell and Clara Smith Kell, Betty was a longtime resident of Chattanooga and was a 1958 graduate from Chattanooga High School. She began her working career as secretary to the President of Hamilton National Bank and retired in 2003 from TVA as Senior Secretary.

Betty was a longtime member at First Centenary United Methodist Church and the Adult Sunday school class.

In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her husband, Gerald E. Payne; sisters, Ruby Kinney, Virginia Lowery, and brothers, Robert V. Kell Jr., Virgil Kell.

Survivors include her daughter, Elizabeth (Phillip) Berrier, Acworth, GA, 2 granddaughters, Larkin Berrier and Grayson Berrier; 3 stepchildren, Susan (Don) Hembree, Johnson City, TN, Laura (Joseph) Graham, Winston-Salem, NC, and Carter (Andrea) Payne, Chattanooga and their children Matthew Hembree, Ellen Graham, and Samuel Payne; special family friends, David Peel, Robert Debord, and Jim Hill; 2 nephews, Gary Kell and Glenn Kell.

GRAVESIDE SERVICE

Monday, November 20, 2023 at 1:00 PM
Lakewood Memory Gardens East
4621 Shallowford Road
Chattanooga, TN 37411

Donations can be made to:

American Cancer Society- SE Region / Chattanooga
P.O. Box 332047, Nashville TN 37203

See more information at https://www.heritagechattanooga.com/tributes/Betty-Payne?

September 18, 2023 - The Chattanooga Music Club is sad to announce that at the age of 88, long-time CMC member Andres Sumayo Alisago Jr. (Chattanooga, Tennessee) passed away. Andres and his wife Hilda funded the Andres and Hilda Alisago and Friends Scholarship Fund with the CMC, and were influential in helping many aspiring young musicians in their music studies and career advancement.

Andres was born on September 19th, 1934, in Nabua, Camarines Sur, Philippines, the son of the late Andres Lirio Alisago, Sr. and Martiniana Parcero Sumayo Alisago. A devout Catholic, he was a parishoner at St. Stephen’s Catholic Church in Chattanooga. Andres received his Doctor of Medicine from the University of the East and his Anesthesiology specialization from Vanderbilt Medical Center. He retired from Hutcheson Medical Center as Chief of Anesthesiology. He enjoyed life spending time with friends and family. He was a student of continual learning. He was also a world traveler, competitive ballroom dancer, choral singer, and recreational gardener.

Survivors include his wife, Hilda Navera Alisago; three children, James Alisago (Marli), Josephine Zaleski, Andrew Alisago (Carrie) and grandchildren, Nate Alisago, Nolan Alisago, Eddie Zaleski, Leah Alisago, and Eli Alisago.

• Visitation - Saturday, September 30th 2023 from 12:00 PM to 2:00 PM at the Heritage Funeral Home, 7454 E Brainerd Rd, Chattanooga, TN 37421.

• Celebration of Life - September 30th 2023 at 2:00 PM at the Heritage Funeral Home Chapel at 7454 E Brainerd Rd, Chattanooga, TN 37421.

• Burial - Saturday, September 30th 2023 at 3:00 PM at the Mount Olivet Cemetery, 1 Mount Olivet Dr, Chattanooga, TN 37412.

To post tributes, order flowers and view more more information, see https://www.heritagechattanooga.com/tributes/Andres-AlisagoJr

June 24, 2023 - The Chattanooga Music Club mourns the loss of Caroline Garner, widow of the late Reverend Thomas Gailor Garner Jr., who passed in 2014. Reverend Garner was a past-president of the CMC in the year 2003-2004. Memorial services have not yet been announced. Please see Mrs. Garner’s obituary at https://www.timesfreepress.com/obituaries/2023/jun/24/caroline-garner-300392/

2022:

September 25, 2022 - It is with a heavy heart that we announce the sad news that Robert Thompson, CMC member and husband of CMC Past-President Linda Thompson, passed away.  Bob and his wife Linda shared many happy moments together through their love of music, filling their lives with beautiful and eclectic sounds. He enjoyed his grandchildren’s piano recitals, his son’s violin concerts, his wife’s organ and piano playing for her work in church and funeral services, banjo-picking tunes, hymns and gospel songs, symphony and choral concerts, and Elvis’s “Blue Christmas” (one of his favorite songs). Bob served as a volunteer with the Chattanooga Symphony & Opera Youth Orchestras, was a member of the Chattanooga Music Club and a faithful supporter of the Chattanooga Theatre Centre, Chattanooga Symphony & Opera, Performing Arts League and other organizations. He was also a choir member at Silverdale Cumberland Presbyterian Church. His obituary can be found at https://www.dignitymemorial.com/obituaries/hixson-tn/robert-thompson-10949166 .

April 21, 2022 - we mourn the passing of late CMC member Daniel Thomas McFarlan of Signal Mountain. He was a member of Signal Mountain Presbyterian Church, and was retired from TVA, after many years of service as an electrical engineer. Mr. McFarlan was instrumental in the Chattanooga Music Club’s restoration of the Memorial Auditorium’s Austin Organ. He spent years removing the individual pipes, restoring, and cleaning each one. His funeral was held on April 25 at Hamilton Memorial Gardens. His obituary can be found at https://www.dignitymemorial.com/obituaries/hixson-tn/daniel-mcfarlan-10721470.

May 29, 2022 - we just learned about the passing of Pat Starke, one of our past presidents. She served on the Board of Directors of the Chattanooga Symphony & Opera, and sang in the choir and played in the bell choir of First Centenary Methodist Church in Chattanooga. She was involved in several musical clubs and organizations, generously donating her time and treasure. Her funeral was held on July 8 at the Chattanooga National Cemetery. You can visit her obituary on the Heritage Battlefield website.

2021:

December 20, 2021 - We are saddened to report the passing of Dr Martin Perez, our Board Parliamentarian and a member of our Advisory Board. Arrangements will be posted as soon as they are known.
UPDATE: A private funeral service has already been held. To see the beautiful obituary as posted in chattanoogan.com, please copy this link and place it in your internet browser https://www.chattanoogan.com/2022/1/5/441079/Martin-Allen-Perez.aspx

November 18, 2021—We in the Chattanooga Music Club are saddened by the passing of Jack Barker (picture shown above). Jack was President of the Chattanooga Music Club many years ago. He and his wife, Mary, were active in various organizations of The Arts. Following is his obituary from The Chattanooga Times Free Press.

DUNLAP — Clyde B. ("Jack") Barker born July 23, 1923, passed away Nov. 18, 2021.

The current Merriam Webster definition of “friend” is something like this: “(1) a person you like and enjoy being with; (2) a person who has a strong liking and trust in another person; (3) a person who helps or supports others.” The updated local definition, at least for those of us who knew him, is “Jack Barker”.

Born to John and Marguerite Barker July 23, 1923, the Dunlap, Tenn., native was a veteran of World War, II.Following his marriage to Mary Traylor Barker, Jack and his bride located to Chattanooga, Tenn., where Jack worked as purchasing agent for Mueller Company, and after retiring from there, worked for a time at Rone Regency Jewelers.

Jack was active in the Chattanooga Theatre, appearing in a number of productions, and also supported the Chattanooga Symphony and Opera Association. He loved music and singing and was talented in that regard. He was an active member of First Christian Church (Disciples of Christ).

Through all his vocational, avocational and faith-centered activities Jack became “Friend” to an ever-widening circle of individuals and families. A card or note sent at just the right time when needed for consolation, congratulations or encouragement was his frequent gift to many. One of his favorite sayings was a line penned by Thomas Markham.

“There is a destiny in life that makes us brothers. No one goes his way alone. All we send into the lives of others returns again to our own.”

Jack was predeceased by his parents and by his wife, Mary. He is survived by his sister-in-law, Barbara Traylor Young, of Columbus, Ohio, her three children, Lisa, Sara and Brett and a cousin, Tracy Murrell, and others in an extended family. He is also survived by his surrogate children, Michael F. Adams, former President of the University of Georgia, Mike’s wife, Mary Lynn Adams and Jack’s friend and caregiver, Glenn Edward Howard.

Visitation will be at First Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) 650 McCallie Avenue at 10 a.m. Thursday Dec. 2, followed immediately by a service at noon conducted by the Reverend Brandon Gilvin, with eulogies and remarks by Michael F. Adams and Alan L. Cates. Suggested memorial contributions are to First Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), Chattanooga, Tennessee; The Mary T. Barker Scholarship Fund at Cleveland State Community College, Cleveland, Tennessee; The Chattanooga Symphony and Opera Association; or Hospice of Chattanooga. Arrangements are by Heritage Funeral Home & Crematory, Battlefield Parkway.

July 26, 2021—We are sorry to report that Dr. Jeanette Martin, 81, died July 26, 2021, at home after a brief illness. She was president of the Chattanooga Music Club in 2011 and 2012. For a number of years, Dr. Martin gave a CMC scholarship in honor of her late mother, Dorothy Cobb Martin. She graduated from the University of Chattanooga in 1961 and received her medical degree from the University of Tennessee Health Science Center in 1968. After practicing in Memphis for a number of years she moved to Chattanooga. She became a highly respected Chattanooga pediatrician and was named Director of General Pediatrics at T.C. Thompson Children’s Hospital of Erlanger. She retired from that position in 2008. After retiring she shared her love of animals by volunteering at McKamey Animal Center. The family has requested that any donations in her name be made to McKamey Animal Center.

February 24, 2021 - We are so sad to report the passing of long time CMC member, Tom Wolfe. Those of us who knew him well feel a deep sense of loss. To borrow from a friend’s eloquent words, “Tom was a member of a dying breed of selfless people who spent his life sharing his abundant talents with others. He had a keen wit and never uttered an unkind word toward another living soul. His love for children and theirs for him was something to behold. Thank you, Tom, for sharing your music and your love with us all.” You will be sorely missed. No service is planned at the present. https://www.chattanoogan.com/2021/2/27/424075/Robert-Thomas-Tom-Wolfe.aspx

February 7, 2021 - We are sorry to report that former Treasurer of CMC, Clark Gross, passed the 7th of February.  Clark and his wife, Patty, were very faithful members and supporters. Our prayers go out to the family.

January 9, 2021—We were saddened to learn that the oldest living member presently of Chattanooga Music Club passed away this week. Garvin Colburn was 100 years of age. She was a faithful member and supporter of CMC attending as regularly as she could even the past several years. A small graveside service for family only will be held at Christ Church Episcopal. There is no visitation.

2020:

November 12, 2020 - We are so sorry to learn about the passing of Dolores Wessel Harvey in Chattanooga.  She was a former President of the Chattanooga Music Club, 1991 - 1993 and had served in many capacities of the organization.  Services and burial at Forest Hills Cemetery will be private for family and close friends.  There is no visitation due to Covid.  The obituary may be viewed on Chattanooga.com.

August 15, 2020 - Our sincere sympathy goes out to Robert Thomas (Tom) Wolfe, long-time CMC member, in the sudden death of his brother, Jim, on August 5. There will be no services or visitation. Please keep Tom and other family members in your prayers.

July 19, 2020 - We are saddened to learn that Mrs. Patricia Thomas Myhan, Mother of Mrs. Susan Clark, a member of our Communications/Website Committee,  passed away recently.  Mrs. Myhan's funeral service will be July 20th, Monday, at 12 P. M. at the North Chapel of Chattanooga Funeral Home.  Visitation will be Monday from 10 A. M. until the time of the service at noon.  Our thoughts and prayers are with Susan, her Sister, and their families. 

June 15, 2020 - Sincere sympathy to the Dolores Worthington Cooley family upon her passing June 15th.   A private grave side service will be held for family.  A Celebration of Life Service will be announced and held at a later date.

January 19, 2020 - Our hearts go out to our Third VP, Jamie Curtis, in the passing of her Mother, Jane Northern Curtis Magrath.  

Visitation and services will be held at St. Thaddeus Episcopal Church on Highway 58, with visitation being held on Friday, January 24, from 5:30-7:30 p.m.and service being held at Noon on Saturday, January 25, with reception to follow. 

Please keep Jamie and her family in your prayers.

2019:

August 4, 2019 - The CMC expresses our great sympathy to the family of long-time member and supporter, Frances Parris, 95, who died in a car accident in Chattanooga on August 3, 2019. Frances was a retired school teacher and a very elegant lady who dearly loved music. She was a member of the Chattanooga AGO Chapter for over 40 years and the CMC for about as long, serving as Chair of our Telephone Committee. Anyone who knows Frances will understand that the one blessing was that she was on her way home from just having her hair done. Arrangements are as follows:
Date: Thursday, August 8
Place: First Cumberland Presbyterian Church
Visitation: 12:00 Noon
Service: 3:00 p.m.
Gravesite at Hamilton Gardens on Highway 153

June 15, 2019 - We are so very saddened by the passing of Dr. Glenn Draper, a long-time supporter of the CMC, along with his wonderful wife, Lounelle, who serves as the CMC’s Corresponding Secretary. We loved Dr Glenn’s enthusiasm, warmth, and humor, and looked forward to seeing him at the various CMC events. We will miss him greatly and look forward to seeing him again in eternity. A beautiful obituary can be seen at https://www.chattanoogan.com/2019/6/17/392077/Dr.-Glenn-Wright-Draper.aspx

March 17, 2019 - It is with great sadness that we report the passing of the Chattanooga Music Club Secretary General, Evelyn Gibbs. Evelyn was a stalwart member of the CMC, serving as the President in 1974-76 and in many other roles through the years. We will all miss her. A detailed obituary may be seen at https://www.chattanoogan.com/2019/3/18/386704/Evelyn-Irene-Gibbs.aspx

If you would like to donate to the Chattanooga Music Club in honor of Evelyn, please click here.

March 6, 2019—Our sincere sympathy is extended to Barb Storm in the recent passing of her father, Donald Albert Storm.

January 22, 2019—Our thoughts and prayers go out to our Treasurer, Dr. Ralph Altman, in the recent passing of his beloved wife, Dorothy.