fairfax virginia chapter, southern division, mid-atlantic
TRANSCRIPT
A fellowship of men devoted to the art of a cappella barbershop singing,
committed to excellence in musical performance and good will in the community.
Visit the Fairfax Jubil-Aires’s Web page at http://www.fairfaxjubilaires.org
Official Weekly Bulletin of the “Fairfax Jubil-Aires”
Fairfax Virginia Chapter, Southern Division, Mid-Atlantic District of the Barbershop Harmony Society
Vol. 61, No. 01 Chartered November 30, 1953 January 10, 2014 Editor: John Knueven: [email protected] Staff: Robyn Sandler. Booking Agent: Art Medici: [email protected]
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President: Randy Moller Immediate Past President: Fred Geldon Executive VP: Still Looking Music and
Performance VP: Cliff Shoemaker Membership VP: Aaron Watts Marketing and Public Relations VP: Harold
Weinberger Corresponding Secretary: Sam McFarland Recording Secretary: Ray LaTurno Treasurer: Kevin
Deasy Gig Master Art Medici Members-at-Large Doug Jones, Alex Laufer, and Paul Grano
Tonight we’re rehearsing at
Lord of Life, West
13421 Twin Lakes Dr., Clifton, VA
7:30 PM Rehearsal
NOTE: Performance times are approximate.
2014: Jan 11 2:30p Memorial Service for
Bix Doughty Jan 15 7:30p Jubil-Aires at Thoreau
Place
Jan 19 5:00p Installation Banquet Mar 14-15 Prelims (Host Chapter)
From The Back Seat
-Fred Geldon-
This is my last “Presidential” column.
(I know, as of January 1st I am only the
“Immediate Past President”, but I’m
bending the rules and writing this anyway.)
It is particularly
poignant to be writing my final column in a
special issue of What’s Happening? that is dedicated to Bix Doughty. Bix (along with his RingQuest colleagues) was the first Jubil-Aire
I met, in my office on Valentine’s Day in 2008. Roger was the official “Man of Note”
because he gave me his card, but the reality is that all four members of RingQuest were my “men of note.” And how bittersweet that
on December 22nd, as part of Men In Stripes (a partial reincarnation of RingQuest), we were the last to sing to Bix while he was
alive. Looking back, serving as president during
the past two years has been a privilege. Not because of the flashbulbs (the Hollywood
scouts have yet to appear), or the wonderfully silly “Hail to the Chief” serenade at each meeting (without four-part harmony,
alas). But because of the contributions that all of you—Jubil-Aires and Jubil-Ladies—make
to the wonderful hobby we have. I’ve been in a number of volunteer organizations, but never in one where so many jump in when
asked—or without being asked. It’s made my job easy and fun (at least, most of the time).
If I might paraphrase Winston Churchill, “Never was so much owed by so many to so many.”
Though we’ve had some unfortunate bumps in the road, the chapter is prospering
and will continue to prosper. Thanks to so many (and especially to Aaron), we’re growing in numbers—slowly, but growing.
Thanks to so many (and especially to Richard) we’re growing in singing
ability (and even, sometimes, in contest scores). Thanks to so many (and especially to Art and Cliff) we
are growing in strong, structured, singouts and performances. And
thanks to so many (and especially to Kevin and all of the above) our bank balance is growing.
So–our chorus is in good shape, and with Randy’s leadership (and a
strong board of directors) are in good hands in 2014. It’s all good.
As always,
It’s Great to be a Jubil-Aire!
3
President: Randy Moller Immediate Past President: Fred Geldon Executive VP: Still Looking Music and
Performance VP: Cliff Shoemaker Membership VP: Aaron Watts Marketing and Public Relations VP: Harold
Weinberger Corresponding Secretary: Sam McFarland Recording Secretary: Ray LaTurno Treasurer: Kevin
Deasy Gig Master Art Medici Members-at-Large Doug Jones, Alex Laufer, and Paul Grano
Memories of Bix
-Bill McDonald- Like many of you, I had
the pleasure of spending some time with Bix. First, as the bari and tenor of
RingQuest with John and Roger, we did gigs together,
were coached and performed at Harmony College, competed once, and made
the rounds at Southern Division hospitality rooms–the usual barbershop quartet stuff.
Bix loved it all. He sang with a twinkle in his eye and often cracked me up with his humor–like taking furtive glances at his watch
whenever the word time appeared in the lyrics. Four or five years in a row [EDITOR’s
NOTE: The summers of 2004 thru 2007!], we traveled to Cincinnati to sing for John’s mother and aunts at their senior residences.
One time we stopped along the way in Granville, home of Denison University, Bix’s
alma mater. He was eager for us to visit the alumni office, sing them some songs, and get his picture taken with the hopes of getting in
the alumni magazine. He was a performer
and he particularly loved his time in the spotlight as the lead when we sang “Old Bones”. He never failed to bring us a
standing ovation… well, not us, him. Of course, his age was part of it, but I think the
greater part was the vitality of his voice and the vitality of his spirit that brought people to
their feet and made them cheer. He seemed to like it when I called him a “rock star.” As John and Roger will tell you, we had lots of
good times. At some point in the fifth or sixth (and last) year of RingQuest’s run as a
registered quartet, I took over as Bix’s principal driver to Jubil-Aires practices and events, succeeding John and, before him,
Wes I think. It was a time when I got to know him better. I would usually call ahead
upon starting out and when his caller ID only identified my state he would answer, “Hello Virginia” or he might say “Who Dat.” He
invited me to become his partner in his Reston victory garden after his former
partner, a cute little lady from Thoreau Place with whom he spent enough of his time that people in his church were talking, moved to
Richmond. Bix taught me the ropes of gardening. After I started, he scaled back to
mainly strawberries and onions and I did veggies and a variety of other berries. Our conversations in the car had a wide range.
Frequently, we discussed topics in the morning’s Post. He read it more thoroughly
than I–the inside pages, selected sports articles. He often mentioned errors that had escaped the editors and new words that he
would then look up–like the color celeron (a light green). On the road he liked to point
out interestingly shaped clouds and would remark on the colors of the sunset. His favorite sport was tennis and he sought it out
on his cable TV. He could hold a conversation on most topics, sports or
otherwise. He told me how his father had been involved in the NY state Republican
party, about how his family had their own
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President: Randy Moller Immediate Past President: Fred Geldon Executive VP: Still Looking Music and
Performance VP: Cliff Shoemaker Membership VP: Aaron Watts Marketing and Public Relations VP: Harold
Weinberger Corresponding Secretary: Sam McFarland Recording Secretary: Ray LaTurno Treasurer: Kevin
Deasy Gig Master Art Medici Members-at-Large Doug Jones, Alex Laufer, and Paul Grano
tennis court in the back yard, and how he had remodeled areas of his house in Beacon, NY. Because my wife is from the nearby Putnam
County seat, where he had spent many days
searching court records, we talked about things
happening on his old turf when Gail and I came back from NY
visits to her relatives. He said I “made his
day” when I once called him from Beacon and said I had taken a
picture of his old office (second floor behind tree).
Bix had a wonderful mind, even in his 90s. He could sing songs in English, French, and German and rattle off Gilbert and Sullivan
lyrics, usually without pause. He had an extensive repertoire of old songs that served
him well at barbershop woodshedding competitions and helped him win his prized Final Four hat [EDITORS NOTE: He also won
a Gold Medal as Tenor]. In the last year or so he learned Put Another Log On The Fire
and hoped to find a quartet with whom to perform it.
Up until his last few months, he was quite
self-reliant. He had full command of the Fairfax Connector and RIBS bus schedules
and got around on his own seemingly with ease. He was sometimes irritated if I walked ahead to open the doors and more than once
said something like, “I’m capable of doing that myself, you know.” So we took turns;
he would open one door and hold it with his cane and I’d get the next. Thinking back, the absence of a generational gap was one of the
things I liked best about our relationship. We could be friends with no conscious recognition
of the almost three decades difference between us. He aged with grace and was a
role model for us all.
My Buddy, Bix
-John Knueven- I remember bringing Bix to practices after
he quit driving. He was always full of humor, especially “play on words”. When I visited him during the last of his days at the hospital
he told me to help the chorus raise the rizers and then, at the end raze the rizers.
I will never forget his generosity in coming to Cincinnati (with the rest of RingQuest) to sing for my mother and her retirement
friends. Each year we went to a different special event.
This particular year we went to see the Cincinnati Red
Legs play (they lost), but we also
visited aquariums, museums, went for rides on the Delta
Queen, and others. My mom in a
wheelchair, and Bix walking along just as you please!!
On a personal note, Bix’s passing has had a profound effect on me. I have come to
realize I am mortal. With Bix around one tends to think he will live forever. I have
been thinking long and hard lately about what I yet want to accomplish. I just
hope it’s about a 10th of what Bix
has done. Here he is in one
of our many funny songs “Flying
Machines”.
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President: Randy Moller Immediate Past President: Fred Geldon Executive VP: Still Looking Music and
Performance VP: Cliff Shoemaker Membership VP: Aaron Watts Marketing and Public Relations VP: Harold
Weinberger Corresponding Secretary: Sam McFarland Recording Secretary: Ray LaTurno Treasurer: Kevin
Deasy Gig Master Art Medici Members-at-Large Doug Jones, Alex Laufer, and Paul Grano
A Gentleman on My Soul
-Roger Lemieux- The single word to
describe Bix Doughty has got to be a “Gentleman.” Way back
in January 2001, John Knueven was organizing
a quartet to sing for his daughter’s upcoming wedding in June. Bix had
consented to sing Tenor in our newly formed
quartet RingQuest. That was the beginning of a long friendship. After the wedding we all decided to stick together
just for the fun, the friendship and the harmony.
For several years RingQuest traveled to Cincinnati to put on shows at John’s mother’s and aunts’ retirement homes. Bix & I usually
roomed together. Bix went to bed with a song and he usually woke me up in the
morning with a song. Several times I thought we would be asked to leave for “disturbing the peace.”
Bix was always very independent. Most often he would refuse the help we offered to
handle his suitcase. Towards the end he had to accept help because he walked with a
cane. On one of our trips west, we stopped at
Dennison College, Bix’s Alma Mater, and
viewed his 1931 Class Graduation Book from the archives. Bix had been in a quartet even
then. Bix had a memory for music that
astounded us. He would sing songs we never
heard before and he expected us to “woodshed” the harmony. One of these
songs was “T’was Only an Ol’ Beer Bottle” We played with it for a while and finally put it into NoteWorthy. Thanks to Tom Meier for the
Barbershop arrangement. Attached is a copy of the song. Enjoy. I don’t think it is copyrighted. :-)
RingQuest had a “process” to choose our songs. Each one of us had a turn to choose a
song. I remember choosing a song that two others didn’t particularly like. Well, the very next time Bix’s choice came around again, he
would choose that song. Bix worked at his music. He would sit at
his little piano and pound out the melodies until he had them committed to memory. Even in his early nineties, his memory for
music was phenomenal. I’ve never seen Bix get angry at anyone
over anything. He was above all pettiness and his friendship was solid and respectful, a perfect “gentleman.” We will miss him
greatly.
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President: Randy Moller Immediate Past President: Fred Geldon Executive VP: Still Looking Music and
Performance VP: Cliff Shoemaker Membership VP: Aaron Watts Marketing and Public Relations VP: Harold
Weinberger Corresponding Secretary: Sam McFarland Recording Secretary: Ray LaTurno Treasurer: Kevin
Deasy Gig Master Art Medici Members-at-Large Doug Jones, Alex Laufer, and Paul Grano
What I will Remember
about Bix
-Ron Obermeyer- Everyone, including
me, remembers Bix for
his outstanding and enduring performances of “Old Bones”, but
there are two things about Bix that will
forever be in my thoughts. The first was when I had the
opportunity last year to be with and sing
with Bix all day delivering Singing Valentines. We had a
full day starting at 0900 and running into
the late afternoon all over Northern Virginia. Some we had to walk a ways from the
parking lot or “drop-off” point to where we delivered the song. Others were up flights of stairs and all required getting in and out of
the car. It was a long tiring day that started getting to me, but there was Bix at 25 years
or more older than any of us keeping right up there, often leading the way. Never did he complain or indicate fatigue and when the
time came, he sang his part with excellence. That day was characteristic of Bix in all
phases of his barbershopping. The second thing that I will always
remember about Bix was his limitless
knowledge of words and melody to “old chestnuts” that he would “throw out” for one
and all to woodshed to. Most of them I had never heard as was the case with most of the Jubil-Aires. He must have learned them as a
young boy (I believe that would have been before recordings were available, so he
learned them by listening and singing them). They were great for woodshedding since none
of us “youngsters” had ever heard of them and couldn’t “lean on” some familiarity with the song to woodshed our part. He loved to
sing them and his repertoire was endless.
MEMORIES OF BIX
-Pete Bermel- Musical Repertoire:
When we rode together to meet the Vienna HHS car pool
Bix would often quietly sing a song or two to
himself. I was amazed at how many I didn't know—not just the
words but the tunes as well. They were from a different era,
probably the one SPEBSQSA was formed to preserve. I guess that's what made Bix such a hit at woodshed conventions in Baltimore.
That, and his ability to harmonize all four parts!
The Accident: When taking Bix home from a Jubil-Aire meeting a few years ago I was involved in a 4-car accordion-type accident in
Reston. A police car arrived, soon followed by a second. After seeing that nobody was
injured, but clearly most concerned about a very pregnant lady and a 96-year -old man
[no connection :-)], the first officer set about documenting the accident. While taking statements he went looking for Bix who had
been sitting in my Isuzu, but Bix was nowhere to be found.
The officer groaned, "I've got a 4-car accident with a pregnant lady and now I've lost a 96-year-old man!" As he looked
around he saw a solitary figure standing on the corner a block or so away. "Is that him?"
Yes, it was. Bix had gotten bored, left without telling anyone, and was patiently waiting for a bus to take him home. Officer
7
President: Randy Moller Immediate Past President: Fred Geldon Executive VP: Still Looking Music and
Performance VP: Cliff Shoemaker Membership VP: Aaron Watts Marketing and Public Relations VP: Harold
Weinberger Corresponding Secretary: Sam McFarland Recording Secretary: Ray LaTurno Treasurer: Kevin
Deasy Gig Master Art Medici Members-at-Large Doug Jones, Alex Laufer, and Paul Grano
#1 told officer #2, "Get him home right away. I don't want to lose him again." And thus ended Bix's ride home with me from
rehearsal.
Valentines Day Quartetting: Singing with Bix
in a put-together quartet was a true pleasure. He might be the tenor or the bari, but he
always carried his part with joy. Valentines Day recipients always seemed to appreciate him more than the rest of us, especially the
courtly manner with which he presented the card or the rose or the candy. My guess is
that some honorees remember Bix better than they remember the quartet.
Reflections: Bix seemed to have been born
a barbershopper even though he found us only 17 years ago. There ought to be
another way of calculating membership years for guys like him. Like many others, Bobbie and I will truly miss him, and will treasure the
DVD of "Old Bones" he gave us.
MEMORIES OF
BIX
-Bert Johnson-
Bix Doughty was very
special to me and will always hold a place deep in my
heart. Bix sang tenor in our sanctuary choir at Vienna Presbyterian Church, and we sang side by side for years. Bix started inviting me
to go to a Jubil-Aires meeting soon after we met, and after my first time there, I must say
it was hard not to be drawn into this brotherhood of singers. I joined the Fairfax
Jubil-Aires, and Bix earned his "man of note", one of many that he has earned over the years.
I remember the Sunday he fell and injured his hip at Vienna Presbyterian Church, and I
just happened to be coming up behind him after he fell. We called the ambulance, and I found out later that he was singing to the
ambulance crew and passing out cards for his quartet on his way to the hospital. Bix was
one in a million!
I also sang with Bix in the Harmony Heritage Chorus (HHS), and he was always
amazing, ready to sing in every performance. Sometimes he would come home from church
with Dianne and I, and we would have lunch before going to the next performance. He
would always tell us stories of his experiences in World War II, and his times being an attorney. Bix was always so entertaining,
and we were eager to hear all of his amusing stories.
Bix was in our carpool going to HHS, and
8
President: Randy Moller Immediate Past President: Fred Geldon Executive VP: Still Looking Music and
Performance VP: Cliff Shoemaker Membership VP: Aaron Watts Marketing and Public Relations VP: Harold
Weinberger Corresponding Secretary: Sam McFarland Recording Secretary: Ray LaTurno Treasurer: Kevin
Deasy Gig Master Art Medici Members-at-Large Doug Jones, Alex Laufer, and Paul Grano
the very last time I picked him up going to a rehearsal in mid-November, he said to me: "Bert, do you mind if we leave a little bit early
today?" I said, "That is no problem. Do you have somewhere else to be?" Bix said, "Oh
yes....I have a luncheon with the ROMEO's today". (For those that don't know, ROMEO's
is "retired old men eating out") We will all miss Bix, and I know I will
always remember him and hope to be like the
person he was to me. I am sorry Dianne and I will be traveling and will miss his funeral
service…but I will be in the piano bar singing, just like he would be, if he were there.
Cheers to Bix, a great mentor to me! "Old Bones" forever!
MEMORIES OF BIX
-Pete Brintnall-
I shall remember Bix
for his wit, his gentleness and kindness of spirit. I never saw
him become angry or disparage anyone. We
once shared a back seat while delivering singing Valentines. Bix was in
fine form—and fine voice—and the day
passed in a flash as a result of the spirited repartee. Keeping up
with him was a real challenge. His was a long and well-lived life.
From: Johnson, Brian T. [mailto:[email protected]] Sent: Tuesday, January 07, 2014 12:55 PM
Subject: RE: [Members] Memorial Services for Bix Doughty
John, Kathleen and I are out of town and will not be
able to attend….we will be sorry to miss this
gathering in honor of Bix……..he is now on my
prayer list, that I might have the courage of my
convictions and the strength of character he
effortlessly exemplified.
In Harmony,
Brian
From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] Sent: Tuesday, January 07, 2014 11:09 AM
Subject: RE: Memorial Services for Bix Doughty
Thank you, John.
I will not be able to go as I'll be at an all-day a
cappella workshop. I'll miss him!
Sally
----- Original Message ----- From: Roger Lemieux To: John Knueven ; Bill McDonald (Barbershop) ; Bix Doughty Sent: Saturday, July 15, 2006 10:13 PM
"From the President’s Corner
Last week RingQuest made your yearly pilgrimage
to Columbus and Cincinnati, Ohio. As the year
before we sang at the WestPark Nursing Home
where John’s Mom is cared for. We had a great time
as usual, and the staff was especially
appreciative. We also put on a show for the Retired
Sisters of Charity next door to St. Joseph’s
College. Sister Gonzaga, a little bubbly nun six
months younger that Bix, and as much of a clown,
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President: Randy Moller Immediate Past President: Fred Geldon Executive VP: Still Looking Music and
Performance VP: Cliff Shoemaker Membership VP: Aaron Watts Marketing and Public Relations VP: Harold
Weinberger Corresponding Secretary: Sam McFarland Recording Secretary: Ray LaTurno Treasurer: Kevin
Deasy Gig Master Art Medici Members-at-Large Doug Jones, Alex Laufer, and Paul Grano
was in the pilot’s seat for Flying Machine. She was
a riot!
This year’s excursion was special for Bix. We
stopped at Dennison College near Columbus to sing
for the staff of the Alumni Affairs Office. They had
us see the 1935 (God, I wasn't even born yet!)
graduating class Year Book with a handsome young
gentleman named Francis Doughty. I was surprised
that the book wasn't printed on papyrus or written in
cuneiform script! The staff also took pictures for
their next newsletter."
Roger
Gee, we must be singing
something other than “Old
Bones”.
Two “Old Men” comparing ages at
Richard’s Birthday.
Yes, he sang in any quartet that needed any Part.
10
President: Randy Moller Immediate Past President: Fred Geldon Executive VP: Still Looking
Music and Performance VP: Cliff Shoemaker Membership VP: Aaron Watts Marketing and
Public Relations VP: Harold Weinberger Corresponding Secretary: Sam McFarland
Recording Secretary: Ray LaTurno Treasurer: Kevin Deasy Gig Master Art Medici
Members-at-Large Doug Jones, Alex Laufer, and Paul Grano
“steadfastly courageous and resolute; valiant.”
Definition of “doughty”
Francis Edgar Doughty was born January 10, 1914 and was named after his Uncle Edgar
Doughty, a judge in Brooklyn, NY. This picture of Uncle Edgar is
from a handbill in the early 1900s when Judge Doughty had already
been sitting on the bench for twelve years and was once again up
for reelection as the Republican candidate. Uncle Edgar would
prove to play a very important role in the lives of Bix and his father.
But let’s go back even further and talk about Bix’ grandfather, an
accomplished singer and violinist. “Grandfather Doughty was a
smart man,” says Bix, “who put himself through Williams College
in Williamstown, Massachusetts, earning both bachelors and
masters degrees in just three years.” After that he went to the
University of Michigan Medical School, during which time he
received a letter from the War Department directing him to report to
the Union Army. He wrote back to the War Department, explaining
that if they would exercise a little patience, he would finish his training and enter the army as a
field surgeon, and the government apparently agreed with that logic. Grandfather Doughty
served in the Civil War as a field surgeon, and he must have seen a lot of terrible injuries during
the war. After the war was over, he set up his medical practice in Matteawan. One day a man
came with a badly mangled thumb that had been injured on the job as a carpenter. The patient
was in excruciating pain and begged Dr. Doughty to just cut it off. “No,” said the good doctor,
“I did enough of that during the war.” So he went to work and saved the thumb. When all was
said and done, the man thankfully had use of his opposable digit, but he no longer had sensation
in the thumb. Later, when the man sued Dr. Doughty (probably at the suggestion of his attorney
because he couldn’t sue anyone else), Grandfather Doughty refused to respond to the complaint
or pay the man a single penny. With all of his assets in his wife’s name, the man couldn’t get
any money from him, but the court did make him spend nights in jail up in Poughkeepsie for a
month or so. “He would report to jail each night, and every morning he would leave jail to go to
work at his medical office. But he never did pay that man a dime.”
Grandfather Doughty must not have spent too many nights in jail, however, because he found
time at home to team up with Grandmother Doughty to have 3 girls and 4 boys. Bix’ dad and
Uncle Edgar were two of those children. “My father started out as a newspaper reporter,” says
Bix, “but then he tripped on the subway stairs and injured his knees very badly, so he had to stay
off his feet for a while.” The result was that he spent the next year in Uncle Edgar’s law office
“reading the law”, after which he took and passed the bar exam and became a lawyer.
Following in his father’s footsteps, Bix’ father (with some help from Bix’ mom) was also
prolific, having 4 boys and 4 girls. “My mother was a very smart woman,” explains Bix. “She
graduated from the University of Michigan and then went to Chicago for a year to study piano.
After that she became a principal of a High School in Upper Michigan.” But when Bix described
how many brothers and sisters he had, he further explained, “That’s what my mother did after
11
President: Randy Moller Immediate Past President: Fred Geldon Executive VP: Still Looking
Music and Performance VP: Cliff Shoemaker Membership VP: Aaron Watts Marketing and
Public Relations VP: Harold Weinberger Corresponding Secretary: Sam McFarland
Recording Secretary: Ray LaTurno Treasurer: Kevin Deasy Gig Master Art Medici
Members-at-Large Doug Jones, Alex Laufer, and Paul Grano
she got married. She was a full-time, stay-at-home Mom.” And she made sure that there was
music in the home. Bix, his father, and two other brothers formed a quartet. One of the songs
they enjoyed singing and that has stuck in Bix’ mind was, “Tobacco is a Dirty Weed; I Like It.”
[Editor’s note: The complete lyrics go something like this: “Tobacco is a dirty weed. I like it. It
satisfies no normal need. I like it. It makes you thin, it makes you lean, It takes the hair right off
your bean. It's the worst darn stuff I've ever seen. I like it.” A special prize will be awarded to
anyone who can find an audio or video of this song.] Bix took some piano lessons, but he relates
that he had an older brother and an older sister who were, like his mother, accomplished pianists,
so there was always someone to play the piano when the family gathered around to sing.
Holidays were special in that regard, with the singing going on and on. Bix loved it then and has
never stopped loving the simple act of joining together with others and lifting voices to the
heavens.
Bix’ father was not only a good lawyer, but he also was involved in local politics. He was
instrumental in creating the town of Beacon. [Editor’s note: According to Wikipedia, “Beacon
was named to commemorate the historic beacon fires that blazed forth from the summit of the
Fishkill Mountains to alert the Continental Army about British troop movements.”] The area
occupied as Beacon was originally settled as the
villages of Matteawan and Fishkill Landing in 1709,
which were among the first communities in the state.
Bix’ father pushed for combining these villages, and
Beacon was incorporated as a city in 1913,
amalgamating the two villages as well as a small
portion of the hamlet of Glenham from the town of
Fishkill. Bix’ father became the first city attorney for
Beacon.
After matriculating from Beacon High School, Bix was
off to Dennison University in Granville, Ohio, where he took pre-med courses, graduating in
1935. But rather than following in his grandfather’s footsteps, Bix went home to work for his
father in the law office and soon decided to head off to Fordham Law School. After graduation
in 1942, he went into private practice with his father in Beacon. Within a year of graduation,
however, duty called, and Bix volunteered for the Air Force. “I don’t remember much about the
depression,” says Bix, “and I marvel that my father was able to keep three children in college
throughout that time, but the war demanded sacrifices from everyone.” At first, Bix was
disappointed that he was assigned to KP duty, but it didn’t take long for the test results to reveal
that he could serve in other ways. Stationed first in Biloxi, MS, he learned Morse code, and after
some more tests, the Air Force decided he would make a good radio operator. So he was off to
radio operator mechanic school at Scott Field, Illinois (across from St. Louis, MO). At the end
of that, someone mentioned openings in a radar school in Boca Raton, Florida, and Bix thought,
“Oh, that sounds interesting.” So off he went. “They put me up in a hotel, and it was a great
place to be stationed.” After he completed the school, he was asked to stay on and teach pilots
12
President: Randy Moller Immediate Past President: Fred Geldon Executive VP: Still Looking
Music and Performance VP: Cliff Shoemaker Membership VP: Aaron Watts Marketing and
Public Relations VP: Harold Weinberger Corresponding Secretary: Sam McFarland
Recording Secretary: Ray LaTurno Treasurer: Kevin Deasy Gig Master Art Medici
Members-at-Large Doug Jones, Alex Laufer, and Paul Grano
and navigators about radar and radar jamming equipment. They promoted him to SSGT, and he
could have stayed there, enjoying the beach and great golfing weather, but he was bored and
wanted to do more, so he put in for OCS (Officer Candidate School) in Miami. After he was
commissioned as a second lieutenant, he figured he would probably go into the legal corps, but
the Air Force decided he was too valuable in the new and growing radar field, so he was sent
back to Boca Raton for electronics school, where he learned how to maintain radar. Half of Bix’
class went directly to Europe, but Bix was on a path for the Pacific theater. First he went to
Langley Field in Virginia (where he sang in the Langley Chapel Choir), then to Lincoln,
Nebraska, and finally to Salina, Kansas, where they were getting squadrons of B-27’s ready for
the Pacific theater. Bix was scheduled to be the radar maintenance officer for one of the
squadrons. Finally the time came to deploy, and he was flown to Guam (with an overnight in
Hawaii). Once there, however, he learned that the Air Force had decided to combine his
squadron with two others, and they brought in brand new radar equipment that he had never
worked on. “So my maintenance of our squadron’s radar equipment involved loading whatever
was broken into a jeep and hauling it to the group maintenance shop for them to fix. I stayed in
Guam until the war was over, spending most of my spare time making ice cream and developing
film in a darkroom I built with a friend of mine.” After the war, Bix boarded a ship, picked up
more guys at Saipan, and sailed back to Mare Island, CA, where he was discharged and sent
home. His biggest regret from those years in the service was that he didn’t find more
opportunities to sing during that time.
With the war over, Bix returned to the practice of law, but it wasn’t long before he met and
married Dorothy. “I met her at church. Her sister and my sister contrived to have us meet, and
they were right. We hit it off right away. We were married in March of 1948.” Their first son,
Roger, was born in 1949; Peter came along in 1950, and Jonathan was born in 1955. Roger lives
in this area and works for Northrop Grumman. He has two daughters, both of whom are married.
Peter lives in Minneapolis and has one daughter in college. Jonathan lives here and has a
daughter in college and a son in high school. After 46 years of marriage, Dorothy died on June
6, 1994. One of his regrets is that Bix did not become active in barbershop during those 46
years. He would have loved presenting Dorothy with a singing Valentine.
It would require a complete book to describe all of the singing that Bix has done throughout his
lifetime, but let’s focus on some highlights. After the war, he was a paid soloist at a church in
Poughkeepsie, and, like his grandfather (who put himself through school singing), Bix sang in
numerous choirs for many years. For about ten years, he sang with a double quartet known as
the Octavians (who not only sang, but also played the bottles). His father had been active in the
Beacon Choral Society, sending Bix and a younger brother
there to take vocal lessons when they were young, so Bix
naturally was also active in that group. In 1996, after his
wife died, he went to visit a niece, and she took him to a
barbershop show. He immediately joined the
Poughkeepsie barbershop group and has been
barbershopping ever since. In 1998, Bix went to Tampa to
13
President: Randy Moller Immediate Past President: Fred Geldon Executive VP: Still Looking
Music and Performance VP: Cliff Shoemaker Membership VP: Aaron Watts Marketing and
Public Relations VP: Harold Weinberger Corresponding Secretary: Sam McFarland
Recording Secretary: Ray LaTurno Treasurer: Kevin Deasy Gig Master Art Medici
Members-at-Large Doug Jones, Alex Laufer, and Paul Grano
the senior quartet competition and was introduced to woodshedding. Realizing that this is what
he had already been doing since he was a child, he quickly qualified in all parts as a
woodshedder. One of his biggest thrills at the competition was singing with the Jurassic Larks,
the winning quartet that year.
The 1998 trip to Florida completely changed Bix’ life. He suffered a heart attack on the golf
course there and came to Virginia to be with his son while he recuperated. After several trips
back to Beacon to wind up affairs, like selling his law office building, Bix retired and moved to
Reston, where he has been living since. The Poughkeepsie club was sorry to lose his voice, but
they told him that a former director, Bill James, was directing a group in Fairfax, and they wrote
to Bill, telling him to take good care of Bix, “Which they did!” says Bix. “I called Wes Kriebel,
who lived a few blocks from my son’s house, and he took me to the Jubil-Aires. Wes was my
sponsor in May of 1998. First Wes, then John Kneuven, and now Bill McDonald have always
been there to pick me up and bring me to and from the Jubil-Aires, and I really appreciate being
able to sing with the group.” In 2001, Bix started singing with RingQuest with Bill McDonald,
John Kneuven and Roger Lemieux. Bix continues to sing with the Vienna Presbyterian choir,
where his son Roger sings. Their practices are on Thursday evenings. On Wednesday nights
and most Sundays (unless Vienna Presbyterian is doing something really exciting), Bix sings
with a small church in Reston. “I’m really a baritone, but I like to sing all the parts. In the
church choirs, I just sing whatever is needed most. In college I took two semesters of voice and
sang some opera (including Largo al factotum, or, as Bix chuckles, “Figaro, Figaro!”[Editor’s
note: Appropriately, a song about a barber!]). Over the years, I soloed a lot, but what I really
love is group singing, especially the barbershop.” And I know I speak for every Jubil-Aire in
saying that we love singing with Bix.
But I love life, I'd like to do it again
Though I might not be much more than I've ever been
Just to have the chance to turn back the hands
And let my life begin
Oh yeah, I'd like to do it again
14
President: Randy Moller Immediate Past President: Fred Geldon Executive VP: Still Looking
Music and Performance VP: Cliff Shoemaker Membership VP: Aaron Watts Marketing and
Public Relations VP: Harold Weinberger Corresponding Secretary: Sam McFarland
Recording Secretary: Ray LaTurno Treasurer: Kevin Deasy Gig Master Art Medici
Members-at-Large Doug Jones, Alex Laufer, and Paul Grano