Choir Retirement

I meant to write about this earlier, but haven't had the time! My dad was involved with the Tabernacle Choir for the past 17 years. He sang with them until he turned 60 (at which point your age "forces" you to retire) but was immediately asked to be involved with the human resources aspect for the men. It came with huge amounts of responsibility and work (not paid work though...this was his calling). He had to arrive early to practices and for the broadcast on Sunday (which meant leave his house Sunday before 6:00 AM). He'd take role and be sure the men were in their proper seats. If you miss practices you're not allowed to perform in the broadcast or in special events (like General Conference) so it's a big deal, and he was always inundated with emails & phone calls with excuses on why choir members wouldn't be there. It was up to him if they'd be able to perform or not...talk about pressure! I know it was a fabulous experience for him, and he loved it all. He has made some amazing friends through the choir. We enjoyed going to the Christmas concerts every year, and will miss his involvement with the Tabernacle Choir.

It was really cool though to go to his last Sunday there (at the Music and the Spoken Word), and be there afterwords for their tribute to him and his official retirement. The president of the Choir, the conductor and President Monson all had a few words to say honoring him and the other person who was retiring that day. We all were very emotional as they paid tribute to my dad. They gave a summary of his life before the choir, and then different accomplishments during as well. It was really fun and super neat to be part of it. I felt so lucky to be able to hear President Monson and be within just a few feet of him (in fact, the picture below Amber took of Pres. Monson). My mom was sure she felt Joyce was there during the broadcast. I was so caught up in my kids misbehaving (and not to mention we watched the broadcast in an auditorium since we had the kids, the Spirit just wasn't the same there with the 30+ other rowdy kids). I'm sure she was though. President Monson even made reference during his little tribute to those who were there that had passed on. It was a cool experience for my whole family.

We're so proud of my dad! Being part of the Tabernacle Choir was a life long dream for him. I'm so happy he was able to be part of it for the past 17 years. I know it's blessed his life in so many ways, and ours as well. Thank you dad for sharing the past 17 years of experiences with us! We all love you!