GORDON CORWIN

Gordon Corwin, 64, of 118 S. Pacific, died Friday Feb. 21, 1992 at St. Joseph's Hospital in Houston, Texas after a brief illness.

Corwin retired from the music faculty of Southeast Missouri State University in May 1990. He joined the faculty at Southeast in 1970 as instructor in music, and was promoted to assistant professor in 1978. He was awarded emeritus status upon his retirement.

He was born Dec. 10, 1927 in Sabertha, Kansas, son of Clarence Addison and Pearl Frances Davis Corwin. He is survived by a sister, Helen Bender of McPherson, Kansas.

Funeral service will be held Tuesday at 2 p.m. at Ball and Son Funeral Home in McPherson, Kansas. Burial will follow in McPherson Cemetery. Visitation will be held Monday from 6-8 p.m. at the funeral home.

Corwin graduated from high school in McPherson in 1945 and attended McPherson College from September 1945 until January 1947. He attended Washburn University in Topeka from September 1947 until June 1950 when he earned his bachelor of music degree.

After serving in the U.S. Army in Korea in 1951-52, he earned his master of music degree at Wichita State University in 1956.

In his early teaching career, he taught music at public schools in Kiowa and Sublete, Kansas and at Truman High School in Independence, Mo.

He also held faculty appointments at Bethel College in Newton, Kansas and at St. Mary of the Plains College in Dodge City.

He taught voice, vocal pedagogy, diction and music appreciation and was music director for a number of musicals produced jointly at Southeast by the departments of music and speech and theatre.

He was a baritone soloist and conductor and director of the women's chorus. He initiated and developed the jazz choir at Southeast.

Upon his retirement in 1990, Corwin was given a special award by the Black Mask Honorary Dramatic Society in recognition of his outstanding work over many years in musical direction of University Theatre musical productions.

Corwin was a prolific composer who wrote music for Children's Theater and during summers composed and directed songs for the Patchwork Company, an adult theater producing morality plays for migrant children.

He was faculty adviser to the local chapter of Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia, the national men's music fraternity, and represented the department of music in the university's faculty senate.

Corwin also produced operatic performances at Southeast and sang extensively as a soloist for local churches and community organizations. He performed as a soloist with the Southeast University Choir and the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra, and conducted tours of singing ensembles for the USA for the Caribbean Military Command to Europe with the University Choir.

He was a member of the America Choral Directors Association and the National Association of Teachers of Singing.

Since his retirement, he had continued to teach voice part-time at the university.