Robert Milton Quade, 95, died July 11 in Akron, Ohio. He was born May 14, 1930, in Mountain View, California, and married his wife, Doris Anne Quade, in 1955.
Quade began his career at the Presbyterian Church in Menlo Park, California, as a teenager. During his studies at the School of Sacred Music of Union Theological Seminary, New York City, where he earned a Master of Sacred Music degree, he was organist and choirmaster at the Hillside Presbyterian Church, Orange, New Jersey. From 1960 to 1967 he served at Christ Episcopal Church, Lexington, Kentucky, where he founded the men and boys choir. The Quades and their children moved to Ohio in 1967 when Robert began service for St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, Akron.
During his 33 years at St. Paul’s, he took the choir of men and boys on twelve overseas tours that included England, Sweden, Denmark, Italy, Austria, the Netherlands, and France. The girls’ choir made four tours to the UK, one combined with the men and boys singing at Canterbury Cathedral, Lichfield Cathedral, and Westminster Abbey. In 1975 he instituted the first RSCM Ohio Course for boys and adults held at the Diocese of Ohio’s conference center.
Following his retirement, Quade served as substitute organist at various churches throughout Akron and then resumed a regular schedule directing music at St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church, North Hill, Ohio, until 2021, followed by St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church, Barberton, Ohio, where he played until his last service just five days before his death.
Among various honors, Quade won the first American Guild of Organists National Competition in Improvisation in 1964. He was named an honorary member of the Royal School of Church Music in 1970, an associate member in 1974, and a Fellow of RCSM at Southwark Cathedral in 1990. He served as president of RSCM America from 1991 until 2002 and was named President Emeritus in 2002. He was granted an honorary doctorate from the University of the South, Sewanee, Tennessee, in 1999.
Robert Milton Quade was preceded in death by his wife, Anne; he is survived by his son, Kent; son, Thomas, and daughter-in-law Shannon; son, Scott, and daughter-in-law Emily; daughter, Kristen; and four grandchildren. A memorial service is scheduled at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, Akron, on August 16, with former choristers invited to sing with the choir. Memorial contributions may be made to the Robert M. Quade Endowment Fund at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, 1361 West Market Street, Akron, Ohio 44313, or to the Northeast Ohio Shetland Sheepdog Rescue, 41753 Blanche Avenue, Elyria, Ohio 44035 (www.neossr.org).
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