DAVID RAMSEY, 68, passed away on Thursday, January 17, 2008, after an extended illness. He served as Director of Music and Organist at First Presbyterian Church, as well as Organist for the Memphis Redbirds Baseball team. Ramsey received a Bachelor of Music from Southwestern at Memphis (now Rhodes College) in 1961 and a Master of Sacred Music from Union Theological Seminary in New York City. He began his teaching career at his Alma Mater in 1965 where he was accompanist for the Rhodes Singers and later the MasterSingers Chorale, first under the direction of Tony Lee Garner and later, Dr. Timothy Sharp. He received the Charles E. Diehl Society Faculty Award for service in 1990. A member of the American Guild of Organists for 50 years, he led the local chapter as Dean many times. He served as a Board member of the Sewanee Church Music Conference. Professor Ramsey was preceded in death by his parents, Dr. Carl and Mildred Ramsey . His leaves a sister, Gayla Sutton of Hernando, MS, and aunt, Charlene Turner of Springfield, Illinois. Visitation will be Monday, January 21, 5-7 p.m. at Memorial Park Funeral Home. A Memorial Service and musical celebration of his life will take place Tuesday, January 22 at 3:30 p.m. at Idlewild Presbyterian Church, 1750 Union. The family requests memorials to Rhodes College, First Presbyterian Church, or the American Guild of Organists. Memorial Park Funeral Home (Published in The Commercial Appeal 1/20/2008)
Whether striking up a chorus of "Take Me Out to the Ball Game" or unraveling a Bach fugue, organist David Ramsey always conveyed his optimistic view of life through his music. On game days, he did it at AutoZone Park, where his keyboard doodles rallied the Memphis Redbirds with old-time flair. On Sundays, he'd pull out the stops in services at First Presbyterian Church. David Carl Ramsey, a beloved fixture in Memphis music, died Thursday morning after a long illness. He was 68. "I think that David just always wanted other people to enjoy music as much as he did," said pastor C.V. "Bo" Scarborough of First Presbyterian Church. "He brought joy to whatever he did, whether he was playing at a baseball game or a worship service. You might offend some church musicians if you tell them that their music was 'fun' that morning. But David loved to hear that." Born in Nashville, Mr. Ramsey was the son of church organist Mildred Ramsey, who was a well-regarded player in Memphis. He received a music degree from Rhodes College (then Southwestern at Memphis) in 1961, and in 1963 earned a master's degree in sacred music from Union Theological Seminary in New York City. He returned to Memphis in 1965 as an instructor at Rhodes, where his students praised his warm demeanor. "I was calling him Professor Ramsey until he said, 'Just call me David,'" remembers Jane Scharding Smedley, organist and choirmaster at St. Peter Catholic Church, of her first lesson with him. "A lot of people take up organ to serve God through music, but David truly loved being a musician." For 21 years, he directed music at St. John's United Methodist Church, before moving to First Presbyterian in 1999. For all the sacred music he performed and conducted, Mr. Ramsey is probably best known in Memphis for his other passion: baseball. In 1971, the owner of the Double-A Memphis Blues decided to add organ music to the ballpark. He knew Mr. Ramsey was a fan of the team and asked him to play. Later, Mr. Ramsey played for the Memphis Chicks at McCarver Stadium. In 1995, a new general manager stopped the organ music, and Mr. Ramsey asked if he could still work in the press box, operating the scoreboard. When Dean Jernigan brought the Memphis Redbirds to the new AutoZone Park in 2000, he put Mr. Ramsey back behind the organ. Jernigan once posed the question: "What's Memphis baseball without David Ramsey?" On occasion, his performances at games hinted at his other vocation. Dr. Scott Morris, founder of the Church Health Center, recalled a time he took a church group to a Memphis Chicks game. "David knew we were there," said Morris, "and in the middle of 'Take Me Out to the Ball Game' he started playing a Charles Wesley hymn that nobody but us would have known, then switched back to 'Ballgame.' He was really a Renaissance man and a child of God." Mr. Ramsey leaves his sister, Gayla Sutton of Hernando, Miss., and an aunt, Charlene Turner, of Springfield, Ill. Visitation is 5-7 p.m. Monday at Memorial Park Funeral Home. A service and musical tribute will be held 3:30 p.m. Tuesday at Idlewild Presbyterian. A March 28 concert of Bach's B-minor Mass by the Rhodes MasterSingers Chorale and Memphis Symphony Orchestra at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception will be dedicated to Mr. Ramsey. Memorials should be sent to Rhodes College, First Presbyterian Church, or the American Guild of Organists-Memphis Chapter. (By Christopher Blank, published in The Commercial Appeal 1/19/2008)
Whether striking up a chorus of "Take Me Out to the Ball Game" or unraveling a Bach fugue, organist David Ramsey always conveyed his optimistic view of life through his music. On game days, he did it at AutoZone Park, where his keyboard doodles rallied the Memphis Redbirds with old-time flair. On Sundays, he'd pull out the stops in services at First Presbyterian Church. David Carl Ramsey, a beloved fixture in Memphis music, died Thursday morning after a long illness. He was 68. "I think that David just always wanted other people to enjoy music as much as he did," said pastor C.V. "Bo" Scarborough of First Presbyterian Church. "He brought joy to whatever he did, whether he was playing at a baseball game or a worship service. You might offend some church musicians if you tell them that their music was 'fun' that morning. But David loved to hear that." Born in Nashville, Mr. Ramsey was the son of church organist Mildred Ramsey, who was a well-regarded player in Memphis. He received a music degree from Rhodes College (then Southwestern at Memphis) in 1961, and in 1963 earned a master's degree in sacred music from Union Theological Seminary in New York City. He returned to Memphis in 1965 as an instructor at Rhodes, where his students praised his warm demeanor. "I was calling him Professor Ramsey until he said, 'Just call me David,'" remembers Jane Scharding Smedley, organist and choirmaster at St. Peter Catholic Church, of her first lesson with him. "A lot of people take up organ to serve God through music, but David truly loved being a musician." For 21 years, he directed music at St. John's United Methodist Church, before moving to First Presbyterian in 1999. For all the sacred music he performed and conducted, Mr. Ramsey is probably best known in Memphis for his other passion: baseball. In 1971, the owner of the Double-A Memphis Blues decided to add organ music to the ballpark. He knew Mr. Ramsey was a fan of the team and asked him to play. Later, Mr. Ramsey played for the Memphis Chicks at McCarver Stadium. In 1995, a new general manager stopped the organ music, and Mr. Ramsey asked if he could still work in the press box, operating the scoreboard. When Dean Jernigan brought the Memphis Redbirds to the new AutoZone Park in 2000, he put Mr. Ramsey back behind the organ. Jernigan once posed the question: "What's Memphis baseball without David Ramsey?" On occasion, his performances at games hinted at his other vocation. Dr. Scott Morris, founder of the Church Health Center, recalled a time he took a church group to a Memphis Chicks game. "David knew we were there," said Morris, "and in the middle of 'Take Me Out to the Ball Game' he started playing a Charles Wesley hymn that nobody but us would have known, then switched back to 'Ballgame.' He was really a Renaissance man and a child of God." Mr. Ramsey leaves his sister, Gayla Sutton of Hernando, Miss., and an aunt, Charlene Turner, of Springfield, Ill. Visitation is 5-7 p.m. Monday at Memorial Park Funeral Home. A service and musical tribute will be held 3:30 p.m. Tuesday at Idlewild Presbyterian. A March 28 concert of Bach's B-minor Mass by the Rhodes MasterSingers Chorale and Memphis Symphony Orchestra at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception will be dedicated to Mr. Ramsey. Memorials should be sent to Rhodes College, First Presbyterian Church, or the American Guild of Organists-Memphis Chapter. (By Christopher Blank, published in The Commercial Appeal 1/19/2008)
DAVID RAMSEY, 68, passed away on Thursday, January 17, 2008, after an extended illness. He served as Director of Music and Organist at First Presbyterian Church, as well as Organist for the Memphis Redbirds Baseball team. Ramsey received a Bachelor of Music from Southwestern at Memphis (now Rhodes College) in 1961 and a Master of Sacred Music from Union Theological Seminary in New York City. He began his teaching career at his Alma Mater in 1965 where he was accompanist for the Rhodes Singers and later the MasterSingers Chorale, first under the direction of Tony Lee Garner and later, Dr. Timothy Sharp. He received the Charles E. Diehl Society Faculty Award for service in 1990. A member of the American Guild of Organists for 50 years, he led the local chapter as Dean many times. He served as a Board member of the Sewanee Church Music Conference. Professor Ramsey was preceded in death by his parents, Dr. Carl and Mildred Ramsey . His leaves a sister, Gayla Sutton of Hernando, MS, and aunt, Charlene Turner of Springfield, Illinois. Visitation will be Monday, January 21, 5-7 p.m. at Memorial Park Funeral Home. A Memorial Service and musical celebration of his life will take place Tuesday, January 22 at 3:30 p.m. at Idlewild Presbyterian Church, 1750 Union. The family requests memorials to Rhodes College, First Presbyterian Church, or the American Guild of Organists. Memorial Park Funeral Home (Published in The Commercial Appeal 1/20/2008)
Whether striking up a chorus of "Take Me Out to the Ball Game" or unraveling a Bach fugue, organist David Ramsey always conveyed his optimistic view of life through his music. On game days, he did it at AutoZone Park, where his keyboard doodles rallied the Memphis Redbirds with old-time flair. On Sundays, he'd pull out the stops in services at First Presbyterian Church. David Carl Ramsey, a beloved fixture in Memphis music, died Thursday morning after a long illness. He was 68. "I think that David just always wanted other people to enjoy music as much as he did," said pastor C.V. "Bo" Scarborough of First Presbyterian Church. "He brought joy to whatever he did, whether he was playing at a baseball game or a worship service. You might offend some church musicians if you tell them that their music was 'fun' that morning. But David loved to hear that." Born in Nashville, Mr. Ramsey was the son of church organist Mildred Ramsey, who was a well-regarded player in Memphis. He received a music degree from Rhodes College (then Southwestern at Memphis) in 1961, and in 1963 earned a master's degree in sacred music from Union Theological Seminary in New York City. He returned to Memphis in 1965 as an instructor at Rhodes, where his students praised his warm demeanor. "I was calling him Professor Ramsey until he said, 'Just call me David,'" remembers Jane Scharding Smedley, organist and choirmaster at St. Peter Catholic Church, of her first lesson with him. "A lot of people take up organ to serve God through music, but David truly loved being a musician." For 21 years, he directed music at St. John's United Methodist Church, before moving to First Presbyterian in 1999. For all the sacred music he performed and conducted, Mr. Ramsey is probably best known in Memphis for his other passion: baseball. In 1971, the owner of the Double-A Memphis Blues decided to add organ music to the ballpark. He knew Mr. Ramsey was a fan of the team and asked him to play. Later, Mr. Ramsey played for the Memphis Chicks at McCarver Stadium. In 1995, a new general manager stopped the organ music, and Mr. Ramsey asked if he could still work in the press box, operating the scoreboard. When Dean Jernigan brought the Memphis Redbirds to the new AutoZone Park in 2000, he put Mr. Ramsey back behind the organ. Jernigan once posed the question: "What's Memphis baseball without David Ramsey?" On occasion, his performances at games hinted at his other vocation. Dr. Scott Morris, founder of the Church Health Center, recalled a time he took a church group to a Memphis Chicks game. "David knew we were there," said Morris, "and in the middle of 'Take Me Out to the Ball Game' he started playing a Charles Wesley hymn that nobody but us would have known, then switched back to 'Ballgame.' He was really a Renaissance man and a child of God." Mr. Ramsey leaves his sister, Gayla Sutton of Hernando, Miss., and an aunt, Charlene Turner, of Springfield, Ill. Visitation is 5-7 p.m. Monday at Memorial Park Funeral Home. A service and musical tribute will be held 3:30 p.m. Tuesday at Idlewild Presbyterian. A March 28 concert of Bach's B-minor Mass by the Rhodes MasterSingers Chorale and Memphis Symphony Orchestra at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception will be dedicated to Mr. Ramsey. Memorials should be sent to Rhodes College, First Presbyterian Church, or the American Guild of Organists-Memphis Chapter. (By Christopher Blank, published in The Commercial Appeal 1/19/2008)
Whether striking up a chorus of "Take Me Out to the Ball Game" or unraveling a Bach fugue, organist David Ramsey always conveyed his optimistic view of life through his music. On game days, he did it at AutoZone Park, where his keyboard doodles rallied the Memphis Redbirds with old-time flair. On Sundays, he'd pull out the stops in services at First Presbyterian Church. David Carl Ramsey, a beloved fixture in Memphis music, died Thursday morning after a long illness. He was 68. "I think that David just always wanted other people to enjoy music as much as he did," said pastor C.V. "Bo" Scarborough of First Presbyterian Church. "He brought joy to whatever he did, whether he was playing at a baseball game or a worship service. You might offend some church musicians if you tell them that their music was 'fun' that morning. But David loved to hear that." Born in Nashville, Mr. Ramsey was the son of church organist Mildred Ramsey, who was a well-regarded player in Memphis. He received a music degree from Rhodes College (then Southwestern at Memphis) in 1961, and in 1963 earned a master's degree in sacred music from Union Theological Seminary in New York City. He returned to Memphis in 1965 as an instructor at Rhodes, where his students praised his warm demeanor. "I was calling him Professor Ramsey until he said, 'Just call me David,'" remembers Jane Scharding Smedley, organist and choirmaster at St. Peter Catholic Church, of her first lesson with him. "A lot of people take up organ to serve God through music, but David truly loved being a musician." For 21 years, he directed music at St. John's United Methodist Church, before moving to First Presbyterian in 1999. For all the sacred music he performed and conducted, Mr. Ramsey is probably best known in Memphis for his other passion: baseball. In 1971, the owner of the Double-A Memphis Blues decided to add organ music to the ballpark. He knew Mr. Ramsey was a fan of the team and asked him to play. Later, Mr. Ramsey played for the Memphis Chicks at McCarver Stadium. In 1995, a new general manager stopped the organ music, and Mr. Ramsey asked if he could still work in the press box, operating the scoreboard. When Dean Jernigan brought the Memphis Redbirds to the new AutoZone Park in 2000, he put Mr. Ramsey back behind the organ. Jernigan once posed the question: "What's Memphis baseball without David Ramsey?" On occasion, his performances at games hinted at his other vocation. Dr. Scott Morris, founder of the Church Health Center, recalled a time he took a church group to a Memphis Chicks game. "David knew we were there," said Morris, "and in the middle of 'Take Me Out to the Ball Game' he started playing a Charles Wesley hymn that nobody but us would have known, then switched back to 'Ballgame.' He was really a Renaissance man and a child of God." Mr. Ramsey leaves his sister, Gayla Sutton of Hernando, Miss., and an aunt, Charlene Turner, of Springfield, Ill. Visitation is 5-7 p.m. Monday at Memorial Park Funeral Home. A service and musical tribute will be held 3:30 p.m. Tuesday at Idlewild Presbyterian. A March 28 concert of Bach's B-minor Mass by the Rhodes MasterSingers Chorale and Memphis Symphony Orchestra at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception will be dedicated to Mr. Ramsey. Memorials should be sent to Rhodes College, First Presbyterian Church, or the American Guild of Organists-Memphis Chapter. (By Christopher Blank, published in The Commercial Appeal 1/19/2008)
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