County of memorial: Howard County
Location of memorial: Church St. & Morrison St., NE Corner, Fayette
Plaque Text:
IN HONOR
AND MEMORY OF
PAUL A. MONTEMURRO
1933 - 2012
CENTRAL B.M.E. (1958)
DIRECTOR OF BANDS
CENTRAL METHODIST COLLEGE
1967 - 1972
April 17, 2012
Paul A. Montemurro 1933-2012
Paul A. Montemurro, 79, St. Joseph, Missouri died Thursday, July 5, 2012 at his home. He was born April 20, 1933 to Frank and Mildred (Panico) Montemurro in Chicago, Illinois. He married Margaret Dickover on March 9, 1985 in Oklahoma.
Mr. Montemurro was an accomplished trumpet, flugelhorn and piccolo trumpet soloist, he holds 42 years of experience in band direction, music education and church music work. Mr. Montemurro has previously served as Instrumental Coordinator, Director of Bands at Northern Oklahoma College in Tonkawa, Oklahoma. He served as Director of Marching Band, Wind Ensemble, and Jazz Ensembles at Oklahoma State University, in Stillwater, Oklahoma. He served as director of bands at Central Methodist College in Fayette, Missouri, and has directed instrumental groups at public schools in Illinois, Iowa and Missouri.
Mr. Montemurro was director of Marching band, Jazz band and concert band in Perry, Oklahoma for one year, followed by two years in Scotland County Schools, in Memphis, Missouri. Mr. Montemurro was a band director at Benton High School in St. Joseph, Missouri for ten years and directed bands at Gallup High School and J.F.K. Middle School for three years in Gallup, New Mexico.
Mr. Montemurro was a lecturer and demonstrator of Ancient Brass Instruments such as the Fanfare Trumpet, The Clarion and other valveless instruments. He presented a paper on this topic at the 1979 conference of the American Bandmasters Association in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. In 1971
Mr. Montemurro was named to Outstanding Educators of America. Three years later he received a Citation of Excellence from the National Bandmasters of America. He was named the National Association of Jazz Educators Outstanding Jazz Educator in the Oklahoma Unit, in 1987.
Mr. Montemurro earned his Bachelor of Music degree from Swinney Conservatory of Music at Central Methodist College in Fayette, Missouri. While pushing his Masters of Arts Degree, he was employed as the Graduate Assistant at the University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri. Additional performing experience was gained as a bandsman with the 5th and 371st Army bands and as a professional trumpeter with the CBS Studio in Chicago, Illinois. His professional affiliations include Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia, National Patrons of Phi Beta Mu, College Band Directors Association, Music Educators National Conference and American Bandmasters Association. He was a member of two honorary band societies, Kappa Kappa Psi and Tau Beta Sigma. He is also a member and has served as President of the Oklahoma Unit of the National Association of Jazz Educators.
Mr. Montemurro has been adjudicator and Clinician for college, high school and junior high bands in Missouri, Kansas, Nebraska and Oklahoma. He was a member of Copeland Baptist Church. He was loved and respected by his fellow colleagues and students. He will always be lovingly known as Prof and Mr. M by grateful students from throughout his career.
He was preceded in death by his parents. Survivors: his wife, Margaret Montemurro, of the home; five children, Pamela (Chris) Reding, Stillwater, Oklahoma, Paula (Darin) Lindon, Colorado Springs, Colorado, Millicent Montemurro, St. Joseph, Missouri; Frank (Ashley) Montemurro, St. Joseph, Missouri, Megan Montemurro, St. Joseph, Missouri; four grandchildren, Garett Reding, Sebastian Lindon, Zacchaeus Lindon and Paul Anthony Montemurro; and sister, Antoinette (Leroy) Castelvecchi, Dundee, Illinois." ~ Meierhoffer Funeral Home