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RHINEBECK, N.Y. -- Arthur Parris, a former music professor at Westchester State College and a piano teacher, died Oct. 23 at the Northern Dutchess Hospital in Rhinebeck. He was 91.
Born March 3, 1924 in Philadelphia, to the late Nathan and Anna (Wasserman) Parris, he was married to Joan Weisman until her death in 2013. He previously was married to Nina (Gumpert) Parris.
Parris, who also lived in Ann Arbor, Mich., and Millbrook, attended Temple University and the University of Michigan before serving in the U.S. Army during World War II. When he returned from duty, he attended the Julliard School of Music and the Paris Convervatory before receiving his doctorate in music history from Bryn Mawr College.
For many years, he was a professor of performance piano, music history, music theory and ethnomusicology at Westchester State College and then Eastern Michigan University.
He served as vice president of the Gray Panthers, was on the board of directors for the Baby Book Club (now Children’s Literacy Network) and also was active in many other causes.
He is survived by his two sons, Carl (Ann Moring) Parris of Rhinebeck, and Thomas (Victoria Tamas) Parris of Shelburne, Vt.; his stepson, Sam (Nancy Crown) Weisman of Manhattan; and his stepdaughter, Sarah (Gary) Otteson of Anaconda, Mont.
He's also survived by his grandchildren, Daniel (Ruxi Radu-Radulescu) Moring-Parris of Albany, Calif., Riana (Eric) Justusson of Queens, David Tamas-Parris of Burlington, Vt., Noah Tamas-Parris of Shelburne, Vt., Sadie Malaby of South Orange, N.J. and Joseph Weisman of Manhattan; and his great-grandson, Theodore Moring-Parris Justusson.
In addition to his wife, he was predeceased by his sister, Vivian Hayes.
Services were Monday and Tuesday, arranged by Burnett and White Funeral Homes, Rhinebeck.
Memorial donations in his memory can be made to the Children’s Literacy Network. Visit the website for more details.
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