Final Notes

ANN GEILER, PHI THETA, ST. LOUIS ALUMNI STLALUMNIMPE@GMAIL.COM

Linnea (Higbee) Eades

Phi Nu February 14, 1960 Palos Verdes/South Bay Alumni

Died January 13, 2021

Violinist, Vocalist, Educator, Linnea earned her bachelor’s degree in home economics with a minor in music from UCLA in 1960. While at UCLA, she played principal second violin with the UCLA Symphony under Lucas Foss and with the Opera Orchestra under Jan Popper and Natalie Limonick (Phi Nu). Many other orchestras kept her busy, including San Fernando Valley, West Valley, Conejo and Burbank Symphonies, and she performed for Mu Phi Epsilon with Phyllis Loeb (Phi Omicron), Lorraine Kimball (Phi Nu) and Olga Freeark (Mu Xi). Linnea taught middle school for 30 years, 27 of them at Mount Gleason Middle School in Sunland, California. After moving to the South Bay in January of 2004, she played with the Los Angeles Doctors Symphony Orchestra, the Peninsula Symphony (2006-2014) and Palos Verdes Regional Symphony Orchestra (2009). She also studied ukulele and sang in the Torrance Civic Chorale as well as the Pacific Unitarian Universalist Church choir. An active member of Mu Phi, Linnea was a member of three alumni chapters and held many offices, including president of the San Fernando Valley chapter. She loved to dress in purple and surrounded herself with purple objects, notebooks, pens and scarves, etc. Linnea was generous and loving and would travel during the summer to play chamber music. During the school year she would perform in orchestras and choirs near her home.

Frances (Halstead) Estes

Epsilon Epsilon May 11, 1949 Dallas Alumni

Died March 25, 2021

Oboist, Frances was a graduate of Texas Christian University. She was known throughout the Metroplex as a professional oboist and English horn player, having played with the Fort Worth Symphony earlier in her career, and continuing to perform at smaller venues with first-rate groups until her death. Her husband, Ed, was also a talented professional musician and they brought thousands into their world through music and teaching. In addition to her music career, Frances taught second grade for over 30 years at Caldwell Elementary in Garland, Texas.

Marisol “Maria” Pla

Gamma Phi January 22, 1989 Cleveland Area Alumni

Died November 14, 2020

Pianist, Maria was born in Sancti-Spiritus, Cuba, and graduated from the Conservatoro International de Música and Colegio Apostolado del Segrado Corazón. She also studied at the University of Havana. After immigrating to the United States of America, she obtained her master’s degree and went on to teach piano at Baldwin Wallace University Conservatory of Music and Cleveland State University. Maria dedicated her life to ensuring her family was able to overcome the challenges that foreign-born citizens face upon arriving in a new country.

Devorah “Debbie” Bette (Rabnick) Ross

Epsilon Xi May 22, 1959 Cleveland Area Alumni

Died November 16, 2020

Pianist, Educator, Debbie graduated from the University of Illinois and spent 30 years teaching piano and music theory at the Music Settlement in Cleveland, Ohio. After her retirement, she continued to teach private piano lessons in her home. Her friends and family all called her Bette.

Cynthia (Blair) Wadley

Phi Gamma May 5, 1948 Dallas Alumni

Died May 15, 2021

Educator, Pianist, Cynthia graduated from the Peabody Institute of The Johns Hopkins University. She received her masters from Columbia University in the City of New York. She was a proud member of Mu Phi Epsilon and was past president of the Dallas Alumni Chapter. With just a trunk full of her belongings she bravely moved to Texas and taught piano in the Highland Park School District. She attended Highland Park Presbyterian Church where she met the love of her life, Dan Wadley. Dan and Cindy were married for 54 years and had four children in whom she invested the majority of her life. Cindy taught piano in the afternoons, but her life was her family. She loved her church and church friends at both Northminster and Lake Highlands Presbyterian Churches, and she enjoyed spending the weekend camping with the church camping group.