HUDSON FALLS – Steven M. Parsons, after a long illness, passed away early in the morning of September 23rd, in Glens Falls Hospital. He resided in Hudson Falls and was born in Rochester, N.Y. in 1939.
From the age of five, he studied the violin. Steve graduated from the Eastman School of Music in 1961 and taught music in the Hudson Falls Central School District from 1961until his retirement in 1994.
He was a loyal and generous man with a great sense of humor. Outgoing and affable, he easily made friends, and they will miss him dearly.
He is predeceased by his parents, George and Helen (Harrington) Parsons.
Steve is survived by his brother, Thomas L. Parsons.
Friends may call on Saturday, October 6, 2018 from 10 to 12 PM at the Carleton Funeral Home, Inc., 68 Main Street in Hudson Falls.
Memorial Services will follow the calling hours at 12 Noon at the funeral home on Saturday, with the Rev. Michael Plank, pastor of the First Presbyterian Church of Hudson Falls, officiating.
A Reception will follow the service at the First Presbyterian Church of Hudson Falls, 5 River Street in Hudson Falls.
In his last hours Steve expressed his deep gratitude to the Fort Edward Rescue Squad and the wonderful staff and doctors of Glens Falls Hospital.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Fort Edward Rescue Squad, Inc., P.O Box 226, Fort Edward, NY 12839.
Steve was truly one of a kind. I was extremely blessed to call him my friend. I will miss him terribly.
Mr. Parsons, thank you for sharing your gift with me in 1984. You taught me to love classical music and appreciate creativity. Two of the first records I ever asked my parents for were Peter and the Wolf and a John Williams/Boston Pops album. I’ve been able to learn bits and pieces of other instruments and I’ve learned to value creativity because of your violin lessons. I am forever grateful. Rest In Peace.
Steve brought a great deal of happiness to all of us music educators.
He always had a great wit and I will miss him.
Mr Parsons,
Your passion, discipline and guidance had a profound influence in my life in more ways than most other things I have studied or experienced, and I will be forever grateful to you for that. My violin, though covered in dust from years of disuse, still feels very much a part of me.
Of the many memories spanning 9 years of studying violin, there is one in particular that I absolutely have to share: I will never forget your intervention in getting me excused from those dreaded PE classes. After spraining a finger on my left hand during a basketball unit in 11th grade, you made it clear to the PE teacher that I was “ …a violinist!” and that I had “ delicate fingers”! Getting out of PE from that point on was a given; the PE teacher gladly offered me the choice of going to the music room to practice whenever I wanted – which was often. I would have much rather been physically active practicing my violin than running around playing some senseless game in the gym. I owe my love of the instrument, and my passion for music, to you. Thank you.
Steve gave me many opportunities to showcase my love of the trumpet, even though I wasn’t a “string.” He appreciated my expression, passion and humor nearly 50 years ago. And, very probably, I learned some of those traits from him. So very sorry to hear of his passing. Long live the memories of Mr. P.
Mr Parsons…you will be missed! Looking back all of those years, what I remember most was your sense of humor. I don’t know if many of your students caught it, but my twin brother Bert and I were constantly cracking up. When you told us you were going to write a music book titled “ The Steven M Parsons Book Of Rests….in the third position….with shifts…” and then you demonstrated?.. Oh my God..we were on the floor! There will never be another teacher like you!
Rest In Peace
Many memories of Mr Parsons as I always called him. I, his violin student from my 4th grade to my senior year in the Hudson Falls Central School system.
More recently, on the day of my mother’s burial we spoke again.
He had researched his student’s records and with pleasure found that I and another student had played a duet. His comments to me that day I will remember most of all.
Mr. Parsons, my mentor, thank you so much for the gift of music and know that your mantel has passed on too. I love teaching violin and am passionate about passing on the torch! You were a wonderful teacher and after graduating you became my friend and continued to mentor and guide with your wisdom.Thank you! May you rest in peace.
Steve was a consumate professional musician and educator blessed with intelligence, wit and warmth. My respect was immediate from our first meeting in the pit orchestra for “Music Man”(1964) and grew over the years. His devotion to his students was obvious and his influence will live on through them and his colleagues. Many of us will miss sharing his single malt scotch while solving the world’s problems…we have lost a truly good soul. Bob
Our family was blessed to know you as a teacher and to have you as a friend.
PEAR
Oh how his wit and sense of humor will always remain in my memory bank! Along with the tapping of the pencil, whether it be for tempo purpose or across my fingers for tuning or in the F hole to keep my bow straight! You were a stern and passionate teacher and I always have had the utmost respect for you! Although we didn’t see much of each other of late, it was wonderful seeing you at Mr. Hewitt’s wake last year! May you now be blessed with wonderful angelic music! Love you and will miss you…peace to you fine man!
My condolences to all who are mourning the passing of Mr. Parsons. I am remembering many things from 9 years of his mentorship. For example: this comment in 1987, when Jascha Heifetz died: “When the top violinist dies, all the rest of us get to move up a slot!”
I had the privilege of getting to know Steve through my husband Mike. Steve was Mike’s sponsor teacher in the student-teaching-days of the fall of 1978. Remembering Steve today is easy, as he was unique in that he kept in touch with Mike throughout his own 34 year string teacher career. Only because of illness would Mike’s concerts RARELY slip by Steve, who would call and chat with Mike, and occasionally with me, several times throughout the school year to mark the dates of Mike’s next concert, and making plans to be in attendance, which he almost always was. But with every phone chat, I never got the feeling that Steve was only calling about concert dates, as he would always ask about me and ‘the boys’ specifically by name, especially knowing that both Josh, who was a cello student of Steve’s, and Ben, in later years both lived in Rochester, Steve’s ‘hometown’. After we moved to the Finger Lakes, he sent notes written beautifully with the antique fountain pens he loved to collect, and newspaper clippings of Queensbury school interest. My last visit with Steve was at the Hudson Falls Post Office was shortly before we moved. Loaded down with EBay shipping, I teased him about how long his one little transaction was taking. He quipped back that he was glad he wasn’t in line behind me. No, Steve, there’s a special place in my heart for people like you, and let me tell you – today you’re at the front of the line…
Yesterday I sat in the balcony at the symphony. Steve always sat there. I missed seeing him there, but like other musicians who’ve passed wondered if he like them somehow heard that wonderful concert.
Mr. Parsons was long time friend of my late father Don Champlin. They kept in touch the old fashioned way by writing letters and sending cards. Dad looked forward to hearing from Steve,reading his letters with a hearty laugh. Steve was a gentleman and a scholar in every sense. He will be missed.
I join the others in mourning Steve’s passing but also celebrating memories – mostly of him “putting up”with a drummer. Especially a teenage rock and roll drummer! Mr. Parsons (of course, we never called him Steve back then!) managed to rein me in and give me an appreciation of the kind of music I’d never been exposed to. I’ve always remembered him for that. Steve, Jim Bittinger and Joyce Irwin were the bedrock of an amazing music program at HF.
His service today was absolutely beautiful. Hearing how much he did for everyone and how important he was to so many was a blessing. Jonathan Newell and Heather Blackburn said it best. We were lucky to have had him. May you rest in peace, Mr. Parsons. I never told you I loved you, but I hope you knew.
When I got accepted to music school, Steve took me to buy my first “real” violin during my senior year of HS. And then he bought me my first bow, which I still have. Over the years we stayed in contact and I would run into him at the NYSSMA conference. He was always very supportive and interested in my life as a music teacher. He had given me a very solid foundation as a violinist and as a teacher. I was blessed to have had him as my very first (and longest) teacher. He also sent flowers for one of my final concerts a few weeks before I retired. He was a great man.