Jack C. Goode died
on January 10 at Mather Pavilion nursing home in Evanston, Illinois, at the age
of 80. He had served as organist and choir director at Lake Street Church
(formerly First Baptist Church) of Evanston for 33 years, prior to his
retirement in 1986. Born in Marlin, Texas, Mr. Goode moved to the Chicago area
in 1946. He earned degrees from Baylor University in 1942 and the American
Conservatory of Music in 1947, and also studied at the University of Tulsa with
composer Bela Rozsa. Mr. Goode taught organ and composition at Wheaton College,
the American Conservatory of Music, and Northwestern University, and was a past
Dean of the North Shore AGO chapter. In 1964, he published Pipe Organ
Registration, a book that was printed in three languages. He was the composer
of many works for choir, piano, chamber ensemble, orchestra, and organ,
including Improvisations on Hymn Tunes (Hope), Magnificat (Abingdon),
Processional (Abingdon), Preludes on Hymn Tunes (Hope), Fancy for the Trumpet
Stop (Gray), Seven Communion Meditations (Flammer), Thirty-four Changes on Hymn
Tunes (Gray), and many works in manuscript. His first wife, Gertrude Kaiser,
died in 1963. His second wife, Ruth Hendry, died in 1988. In 1992 Mr. Goode
moved into a retirement home in Evanston.
Lawrence L. Schoenstein, age 85, died on December 27, 2001, at his home in San Rafael, California. A fourth generation member of the famous organ building family, he became fascinated with the craft as a child helping his grandfather in the factory after school. Lawrence loved to recall that his grandfather would plane some aromatic cedar lumber, producing long, curled-up shavings which he hung over the boy's ears. He also remembered fondly sitting at the organ bench with
his Aunt Cecilia while she played for high mass at the family's parish
church. It was soon obvious to everyone that Lawrence would be single-minded in
his pursuit of an organ-building career.
After high school at St. Joseph's, he was graduated
from San Francisco's prestigious Lick-Wilmerding School in 1934 and
joined the family firm learning every phase of organ building from his father
and uncles. He also built a small organ on his own at the family home. For the
next 22 years he was responsible for numerous installations, renovations, and
participated in the design and tonal finishing of many of the firm's new
organs.
The company did a great deal of the West Coast work for
major eastern organ builders and Lawrence became acquainted with every style of
instrument. He assisted James B. Jamison with many Austin projects and did work
for Aeolian-Skinner. A major career opportunity occured when he was called to
work with G. Donald Harrison on the finishing of additions to the Grace
Cathedral organ. He had been recommended by Stanley Williams, Western
representative of Aeolian-Skinner. Obviously Mr. Harrison was impressed, for
shortly thereafter Lawrence re-ceived an offer to join the Aeolian-Skinner
company. His father, who had worked for E.M. Skinner in the early part of the
century, encouraged him to do so.
Lawrence was West Coast representative of Aeolian-Skinner
from 1956 through 1972 when the company ceased operations. During that time he
handled the negotiations, participated in the design, installed and tonal
finished over 70 Aeolian-Skinner projects, developing a reputation for
installations of unparalleled detail of finish both mechanical and tonal. Organ
builders still marvel at the level of perfection achieved in each of his
meticulously polished installations. This is especially significant because
Aeolian-Skinner organs at that time were not erected at the factory. All
winding, wiring, and structural fitting was done on the job. His depth of
experience was also called upon at the factory where he helped solve difficult
technical problems and served as a troubleshooter on many jobs all over the
United States. Always inventive, Lawrence handled many research and development
projects for Aeolian-Skinner.
In 1971 he returned to the family firm in San Francisco and
was instrumental in assuring its continuation by arranging the transfer to new
ownership in 1977 and agreeing to stay on as master organ builder. He was
responsible for artistic and tonal design until his retirement in 1984. His
cultivated good taste, both visual and musical, made a significant contribution
to each project. He served as senior advisor to the firm for the rest of his
life. In retirement, he continued to practice the crafts he had learned and
never ceased his study of the art and science of the pipe organ. Throughout his
life, he maintained a positive, progressive, forward-looking attitude toward
the instrument tempered by a deep respect for tradition. He always searched for
perfection.
Lawrence Schoenstein was married for 40 years to Mary Anne
McMahon. He leaves three children (Terrence P. Schoenstein, organ builder of
Hawaii; twin sisters, Viole McMahon and Celeste Ingram) and five grandchildren.
He is survived also by his second wife, Nora Machi, four brothers (one a
Franciscan priest), and three sisters (one a Dominican sister).
--Jack Bethards
President, Schoenstein & Co.
