Arthur J. Singleton

Nov. 21, 1913 — March 28, 2004

 Arthur Jesse Singleton, 90, of South Bend, Ind., died at 10 a.m. Sunday, March 28, in Southfield Village, South Bend. Mr. Singleton was born Nov. 21, 1913, in Albion, Ind., to the late John Virgil and Edith (Koch) Singleton, and had lived in South Bend since 1950, coming from Griffith, Ind.

On Oct. 4, 1940, in Louisville, Ky., he married Maryel Kathleen Patrick, his wife of 63 years, who survives. He is also survived by a daughter, Dianna Lee Singleton Pickering of Radford, Va.; one son, Steve Patrick Singleton of Ann Arbor, Mich.; three grandchildren, Elizabeth Anne Pickering of Fleetwood, Pa., Christopher Lee Pickering of Wexford, Pa., and Shannon Kathleen Pickering Rigsbee of Christiansburg, Va.; two great-grandchildren, Marielle Esther Pickering and Leah Christine Pickering both of Wexford; and four sisters, Edith Welling of Lynchburg, Va., Mary Rose Stouffer of Bizbee, Ariz., Irma Strong of Kalispell, Mont., and Phyllis Braa of Powell, Wyo.

A.J. first picked up a trumpet at the age of nine, played first chair in the Albion town band, and became owner of his own dance band before he graduated from Albion High School in 1931. He toured the country playing with several bands, and then in 1934 went to New York City and played with Jerry Johnson. After enrollment at Indiana University he played lead trumpet in the bands of Jimmy Cathcart, Cocky Robbins and Warpy Waterfall. Art graduated from Indiana University with a BA degree in music education In 1940. He received his MS in education at Notre Dame University in the mid-1970s.

 He taught instrumental music for two years in Boonville, Ind., three years in Rossville, Ill., five years in Griffith, Ind., 15 years at South Bend Central High School and 15 years at LaSalle High School in South Bend, plus many elementary and middle schools. He retired in 1980 but continued to play trumpet in the South Bend Symphony, the Nostalgics Dance Band, and other bands in the area.

Art was appointed principal conductor of the Elkhart Municipal Band in the fall of 1956 and direct-ed for 42 years until his retirement concert in 2002. The Band, the Park Department and the City of Elkhart designed and built a band shell at McNaughton Park in Elkhart, Ind., which was named the A.J. Singleton Band Shell, an honor that A.J. appreciated very much. Art was named a Distinguished Citizen of Indiana by Governor Frank O'Bannon and given the Key to the City of Elkhart. He was a member of First United Methodist Church, South Bend.

Funeral services will be held at 10:30 a.m. Saturday, April 3, in the Welsheimer Funeral Home, 521 N. William St., with Rev. Daniel Berger of First United Methodist Church officiating. Burial will follow at Southlawn Cemetery, South Bend. Friends may call from 5 to 8 p.m. Friday, April 2, in the funeral home.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Hospice of St. Joseph County, 114 Sunnybrook Court, South Bend, IN 46637; or First United Methodist Church, 333 N. Main St. South Bend, IN 46601.

Source: Newspapers.com

11/10/2023 EJS