Genevieve “Judy” Faith (Daves) Greene passed away on Thursday,
October 21, 1999. Born February 26, 1924 in Wichita, Kansas, Genevieve
grew up in Winfield, Kansas, the only child of John and Emma Florence (Snyder)
Daves. Born with perfect pitch, she was a musical prodigy by the age of
4. Her parents and community lovingly nurtured her ensuing career as a
concert pianist and violinist. As a young girl, she was awarded scholarships
for four consecutive summers to study at the Tanglewood Music Festival in
Massachusetts and at Music Mountain in Connecticut, where she studied with
the great Jacques Gordon. Her talents and commitment enabled her to win
each local, state, and national performance competition she entered.
At age 16, she won a four year scholarship to the Julliard School
of Music in New York City after attending Southwestern College in Winfield
for a year following her father’s death. At Julliard, she enjoyed
the opportunity to study with Edouard Dethier, Victor Giannanni, Igor Buketoff,
Albert Stoessel, Wilhelm Willikie, and Peter Wilhowsky. As an undergraduate
she was the Concert Mistress of the Julliard Graduate School Orchestra.
Some of her most thrilling experiences were playing as Concert Mistress
of the American Youth Symphony under the direction of Leopold Stowkowski,
as well as playing the violin under the direction of Arturo Toscanini.
Eventually she became Concert Mistress of the New York City Opera, played
in several
New York City nightclubs, and was a member of the Oklahoma City Symphony.
She also toured in concert extensively throughout the East and Midwest.
On May 29, 1944 in Chicago, Genevieve married Capt. Fay P. Greene,
MD of the US Army Medical Corps, also of Winfield KS. After World War II
they lived in New York City and Cleveland, OH before moving on to East Hampton,
Long Island. In East Hampton, she provided musical direction for several
productions with the John Drew Theater and won praise from such noted artists
as Robert Montgomery, Olivia de Havilland and Lawrence Schwab. In 1952,
the Greenes moved to Parkersburg, WV, where Fay established his practice
in general surgery and Genevieve’s special talents were warmly received
by mid Ohio Valley residents. Since 1957 they have lived at Little Run
Farm, south of Williamstown.
Over the years, Genevieve, or “Judy” as she was known
among her friends and family, performed numerous concerts in the area and
thoroughly enjoyed providing musical direction for various productions by
the Parkersburg Actors’ Guild. For 25 years she taught a wide array
of music courses at Marietta College and was Concert Mistress and Co-director
of the Marietta College Civic Symphonette. She is listed in Who’s
Who in American Women and the International Who’s Who of Musicians.
As her interests turned to
composing, she wrote several ballets as well as numerous pieces for the
piano and violin. Captivated by the local history of the Blennerhassetts
and Aaron Burr, she composed the musical score of the well known historical
musical drama “Eden on the River”, with book by John Lee and lyrics
by Joyce Ancrill. She was known as the “musician’s musician”
with her natural skills in sight reading, playing by ear, and being equally
accomplished on the violin, piano, and accordion.
Judy was active in the community through her memberships in
Junior League, Parkersburg Actors’ Guild, Arts and Letters Society,
Parkersburg Community Concert Association, Ohio Federation Women’s
Clubs, Parkersburg Academy of Medicine Auxiliary and was a founding member
of the Ohio Valley Symphony.
Governor Arch Moore of WV recognized her with the “Distinguished West
Virginian” award in 1987, and she was presented with a lifetime achievement
award by ALTRUSA.
She leaves behind many dear friends and her loving family, including
her beloved husband Fay and three children, Sandra Lee Stevenson of Ottawa,
Canada, John Fay Greene and his wife Marjorie of Ft. Walton Beach FL, and
Laura Genevieve Greene and her husband Scott Hardtman of San Diego, CA;
her
eight grandchildren, Bill Sealey of Louisville KY, Damon Stevenson and his
wife Viki of Ottawa, Canada and Darian Stevenson of Ottawa, Canada, Lauren
and Dayna Hardtman of San Diego CA, Bryan Williams of Tullahoma, TN, Jeff
Greene of Sacramento, CA, and Kari Greene of Tampa, FL; and 2 great grandchildren;
Corey Sealey and Megan Stevenson. Her beloved pets Kippy and Kappy kept
constant loving vigil throughout her illness.
A visitation will be held at Lambert-Tatman Funeral Home, 3005
Grand Central Ave, Vienna on Sunday October 24,1999, from 2:00-5:00 PM.
On the following Sunday, October 31 a memorial to celebrate the life of
Genevieve Daves Greene will be held at 2:00 PM at the Actor’s Guild
of Parkersburg Playhouse at Eighth and Market Streets. Given her passion
for music and the arts, the family requests that in lieu of flowers memorials
be made to the Parkersburg Actors’ Guild Preservation Fund at the
Parkersburg Community
Foundation, P. O. Box 1762, Parkersburg WV, 26102.
Genevieve’s radiance is immortal, an eternal flame forever lit in our hearts. One need only to hear her melodies to feel her presence once again.
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