Obituary of Sydney R. Charles

Charles, Sydney R. Sydney Caroline Robinson Charles entered the arms of her Lord and Savior Jesus Christ peacefully on the evening of November 20, 2014, having lived an extraordinary and full life. A rare and wonderful flower is blooming on heaven's shores this morning! All Glory and Praise to God! Sydney was born September 21, 1922 in Cincinnati, Ohio and grew up in Bloomington, Indiana. She attended the Eastman School of Music at the University of Rochester, New York, where she trained as a concert violinist and received her Bachelors and Masters degrees in Music. For a few months during World War II, Sydney toured with the Tommy Dorsey Orchestra. She then turned to teaching music, first at Shorter College in Rome, Georgia, and later at Wells College in Aurora, New York. She earned a PhD in Musicology from the University of California, Berkeley. She then taught at the University of California, Davis, until her retirement as Professor Emeritus in 1985. She served as Chair of the Department and contributed to many scholarly books and research articles. The Music Library at UC Davis is named after her. She moved to Minnesota in 1999 to be closer to her only son and two grandchildren, and enjoyed many piano recitals, band concerts, soccer games, etc. as she watched them grow to adulthood. What an amazing blessing! She was a girl at heart with a brilliant mind. She loved Jesus, teddy bears, music, rose gardening, shopping, the Fourth of July, cats and dogs, collectibles, books, the Bible, Canada geese, singing in harmony, fine art, and poetry she had memorized as a child, among many other things. Sydney is survived, and will be deeply missed by son, Gordon (Susan), and grandchildren William and Caroline. She was preceded in death by her parents: Daniel and Oma; brother, Daniel Jr.; sister, Joan; and ex-husband, Bill. Memorial Service at Cross View Lutheran Church, 6645 McCauley Trail, Edina, Wednesday, November 26, 2014 at 11:00 AM. Memorials preferred to Cross View Lutheran Church.