"On The Rhodes" Biography:
Glenville Davies Thomas

200 SING FAREWELL TO YOUTH CHOIR DIRECTOR
BY DAVID JACOBS
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH
SATURDAY, DECEMBER 7, 1991

ZANESVILLE, Ohio -- Teary-eyed friends of Glenville Thomas sang goodbye to their biggest cheerleader yesterday in a musical tribute to the founder of the All-Ohio Youth Choir.

About 100 choir members and alumni joined voices with the 100- member Greater Zanesville Singers at Thomas' funeral in Trinity United Presbyterian Church. Thomas, 66, died Monday of a heart attack while driving in Zanesville, his hometown.

During the service the groups sang several hymns and songs, including his favorite, The Battle Hymn of the Republic.

After Thomas' casket was wheeled outdoors for burial in nearby Memorial Park cemetery, mourners sang for about 10 minutes.

"This is the largest crowd I have ever seen here, even for an Easter service," said the Rev. Kenneth B. Kettlewell, retired senior pastor of the church. "There was no one else like him in the state."

Thomas recently had been elected to the Zanesville school board after retiring as the system's vocal music director in 1990.

He founded the All-Ohio Youth Choir in 1963, and Thomas and the group performed regularly at the Ohio State Fair.

Word of his death mobilized choir members to plan the singing tribute to Thomas. Choir alumni going back to 1963 and from as far away as California assembled in the church basement 30 minutes before the funeral.

"We just all got together and practiced the songs he loved," said John Sullivan, 28, of Westerville, a 1980 youth choir member.

Shortly after the service began, the singers marched single file into the sanctuary. Most of them wore the choir's trademark fire-engine red blazer.

They filled the remaining pews, while about 35 stood against the outer walls. A few linked arms while they sang and wept for Thomas. His wooden casket was adorned with white and red carnation.

Kettlewell envisioned Thomas at work.

"We watched the flag being unfurled during the last stanza of The Battle Hymn of the Republic," Kettlewell told the mourners. "We will never hear that hymn without seeing Glenville with baton in hand in front of that waving flag."

"We do not know much about heaven, but in the final book of Scripture we learn that there will be music there, choirs of angels.

"There will be one more voice now, a good strong voice, clear and fervent and if there be a cetion of the choir that needs a director, Glenville will be ready."

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