A MEMORIAL SERVICE WAS HELD ON SAT. MARCH 28TH, 2009 AT BATTELL CHAPEL, Yale University, at 3:00pm. All were cordially invited. Over 800 in attendance! DVD available through the Yale Glee Club office.

Service details: Tom Murray, University Organist, started the prelude 20 minutes before the 3 p.m. service began. There were performances by The Yale Glee Club, The Yale Alumni Chorus, The Whiffenpoofs of 2009, The SLOT's, and The University Glee Club of New Haven. A magnificent, and humbling, tribute.

Contributions in memory of Fenno may be sent to the
North Congregational Church P.O. Box 307 New Hartford CT 06057.

Condolences may be sent directly to the family (Carol, Sarah, Lucy, Peggy, Terry) at pogilvy@comcast.net

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F F Heath Jr. 12-30-1926 to 12-05-2008



About the blog:
Please feel free to share your memories with us about Fenno/Dad. Send your stories/memories to pogilvy@comcast.net and we will gladly post your letter, unless you indicate otherwise.

Thank you. Your letters bring us joy.

Sincerely,

~Carol, Sarah, Lucy, Peggy, and Terry Heath


Sunday, December 7, 2008

Thank you, once again

My deepest condolences to the Heath family, and thank you so much for
letting everyone share our memories in this way. If I may add a few
more in addition to the lines I offered last week:

I loved how Fenno would begin "'Neath the Elms." Just a little flick
of the wrist in our direction--"Go!" As if to say: I gave you all the
tools, and now it's your job. Don't worry, I'll help. But you lucky
people get to do most of it.

Singing, since Yale, has remained my biggest hobby--in 25 years I've
never been without an opportunity to raise my voice in the company of
others, and owe much of this addiction to my Glee Club experience.
I've had some excellent conductors, but can honestly say that none
came close to Fenno for the passion and drive to excellence he managed
to instill in us all, always with good humor and the reminder that
this was, above all, fun. From Fenno I learned that a well-lived life
must have two often-overlapping parts: singing, and everything else.

I spent an hour last Friday afternoon reading the beautiful words on
this website and then, as usual, went to Friday evening services at my
syangogue. I belong to a congregation where prayer is always in the
form of music--they subscribe completely to Fenno's exhortation that
there's too much talking going on. But as I walked in, a little after
6:00 pm, my heart was heavy with the loss I knew this world would soon
bear, and I wondered how I could sing of the joy that the Sabbath
brings. Then I heard eveyone's voices in harmony around me, and
realized that if I learned one thing from Fenno it was that when given
the opportunity to sing, take it. The outcome would always be good and
healing. I bet Fenno was standing in front of the heavenly choir at
that very moment and telling them the same thing.

--Harriet Goren '83

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