William A. Crowle – 9/25/56-3/16/19
Long-time member, William A. Crowle, (Bill), 62, died peacefully in his home in Vernon Hills, IL of cancer on March 16, 2019. Bill began piano study at the age of four, and violin at 6. He attended the Eastman School of Music, Rochester, NY, where he studied composition with Joseph Schwantner, Samuel Adler and Warren Benson and piano with Maria Luisa Faini. He pursued graduate studies at Indiana University, Bloomington, where he studied composition with Frederick Fox and Bernhard Heiden and piano with Enrica Cavallo-Gulli and received both Master and Doctorate degrees in composition with highest distinction. He studied organ with Richard Enright and Leon Nelson.
For 25 years Bill served as organist/accompanist at First Presbyterian Church, Deerfield, Illinois, this being his 25 th year. He also served in parallel years as accompanist to Lakeside Congregation for Reformed Judaism in Highland Park. He was the staff accompanist for the music department at Vernon High School until his illness this past year. He was also accompanist for the Beverly-Morgan Park Community Choir.
His many musical venues include the Waukegan Concert Chorus, the New Classic Singers, Buffalo Grove Symphonic Band, members of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and Chorus, WFMT radio and WGN-TV. As a composer, he has written works for a variety of media, including treble choir, piano, recorder, Orff instruments, guitar, bass guitar and percussion. His versatility as a musician spanned musical genre that stretched from classical, to jazz, to baroque, rock and roll, spiritual and beyond.
A memorial service was held to celebrate Bill’s life at First Presbyterian Church, Deerfield on March 24. Burial services were held March 25 in Stickney, Illinois. He is survived by several cousins in Illinois, Minnesota and Michigan.
Submitted by friend, Leon Nelson