Jeanette Stahl

Jeanette van Dorsten Stahl, 96, of Endicott, passed away peacefully on October 27, 2015, at Good Shepherd Village in Endwell. She is predeceased by her parents, Alida Marie Lamens vanDorsten and Henri Jean Michel Laurent Elskamp vanDorsten, and by her beloved husband of 66 years, R. Crawford Stahl. She will be sorely missed by her adoring daughter, Alida Margaret Stahl Augen; her son-in-law, Dr. Leonard H. Augenlicht (both of Redding, CT); her granddaughter, Jenna Augen, of Los Angeles, CA; her brother, Hendrik Jan van Dorsten, of Raleigh, NC; her brother-in-law, Rev. Dr. William M. Stahl and his wife, Romayne, of Penney Farms, FL; many nieces and nephews, grand-nieces and grand-nephews – and very dear, loving friends and neighbors: Dawn and Nadine Garofalo; Jackie and Sam Ferguson; Colleen, Travis, Shannon and Bridget Hayes; Regina Peacock and Tom Kotasek. We thank our friends and all the compassionate, excellent staff at Good Shepherd Village of Endwell for all their wonderful, attentive, capable care. Jeanette was an immensely talented, unfailingly kind, wise, beautiful and gracious lady. She grew up in New York City, where she played the piano professionally from an early age, accompanying her father, who had a beautiful baritone voice, and then, playing solo recitals at Carnegie Hall, Steinway Hall and Aeolian Hall in Manhattan. Shortly after losing her beloved father, Jeanette became The Valedictorian of her large NYC high school class (with 1,041 students, including comedian Red Buttons and Duke Ellington’s son, Mercer, whom Jeanette accompanied).She was Editor of her school yearbook and voted “The Most Likely to Succeed” and “The Most Charming”, an adjective which applied to Jeanette throughout her life. She was awarded a full scholarship to The University of Michigan; but, unselfishly, she chose to stay home in NYC to help her recently-widowed mother, who was a hard-working nurse, and to raise her younger brother, Hendrik. When Jeanette became the staff pianist at a large professional summer music camp, she met her future husband, Crawford Stahl, who was attending the prestigious Eastman School of Music at The University of Rochester as a trumpet major. It was truly love at first sight (and hearing).They married in 1942, just before Crawford became the pilot of a B-26bomber in WWII, flying 65 combat missions over Europe, earning many medals for bravery, and then returning home safely to Jeanette, where they continued to make beautiful music together for many years. Crawford taught instrumental music at Union-Endicott High School from1945 – 1962, when he was made Supervisor of Music for all the U-E Schools, retiring in 1980.Jeanette always accompanied Crawford’s students; and their combined excellence brought home countless blue ribbons. Jeanette served as President of The Harmony Club of Binghamton, a group of professional musicians, for several years, performing frequently. Her piano repertoire included much Beethoven, Rachmaninoff, Mendelssohn, all the Chopin Ballades and Polonaises, and much Debussy. Her musicality was uniquely powerful, elegant and nuanced. She also lent her beautiful soprano voice to the choir at The First Baptist Church of Endicott for the twenty-seven years that Crawford donated his time and extraordinary talent as its director. Jeanette taught many gifted private piano students in their home, which was always filled with her grace, her beauty, her love and her magnificent music.

Calling hours will begin at 10 am Friday, November 6, with the funeral service following at 11 am at The First Baptist Church of Endicott, 1406 Monroe Street. Jeanette’s pastor, Reverend James A. Rice, will officiate. Burial will follow at Vestal Hills Memorial Park. Expressions of sympathy in Jeanette’s memory may be made to The First Baptist Church of Endicott or to The Union- Endicott Music Department.

I Corinthians 13:8- “Love never faileth.”