We regret to announce the passing of
Lois Lehmkuhl
one of our chapter's honorary
life-time members,.
Lois taught at Miami U. from 1950 - 2000 and was a powerhouse for
music education for over 50 years.
She was always encouraging teachers to attend OMEA and the Orff
workshops to learn new ideas and skills.
Her influence helped to make the Greater Cincinnati Chapter what
it is today.
1957 Lois teaching at Miami University |
1988 |
Ta, ta, ti-ti, ta . . .
Lois D. Lehmkuhl always started her classes with these handclaps, which were then echoed by the class. A native of Waverly, Iowa, Lois' parents had a general store and later they moved to Colorado Springs. She received her bachelor's degree from Cornell College in 1946 and her master's from Columbia in 1949. She was a music supervisor in Scobey, Montana (1946-47), Brooklyn, Iowa (1947-48), and Patchoque, Long Island (1949-50). She then moved to Oxford, Ohio where she taught general music to children at the McGuffey Lab School at Miami University. In 1978 Lois became an associate professor and taught general music methods to university students. Lois served as a Miami University faculty member nearly 50 years, retiring in 1998.
Lois Lehmkuhl was given the Miami University Alumni Association's Effective Educator award for three consecutive years, earned Star Awards in 1991 and 1992, and received the Professor of Music Emerita honor in May of 1998. For many years she served as Miami University Marshall for the School of Fine Arts in commencement ceremonies. She also organized the Music Department's annual scholarship awards ceremony, the Miami University reception at OMEA conferences, and the Ohio Federation of Music Club's Junior Music Festival held at Miami.
As an active member of the Oxford community, she volunteered at the Oxford Museum Association's Apple Butter festival, set up booths or helped park cars at the Hueston Woods Arts and Craft fairs, set up tables for the Lane Library's book sale or the Oxford Senior Citizen Center luncheons, and many other events. She was named Oxford Citizen of the Year in 2004.
Lois was a strong supporter of music and music education events in the Oxford/Cincinnati area. She donated a Baldwin grand piano to the Oxford Presbyterian Church, assisted with the Midday Music in Oxford series, and at the American Orff-Schulwerk Association national conference in Cincinnati in 2001. She introduced countless children and adults to Orff-Schulwerk and spread a legacy of music education in numerous ways.
Her final wish might have been a phrase she often spoke: "Take care, dear hearts!"