R. CRAWFORD STAHL  (Alida’s father)  is the son of Margaret Crawford Stahl and Raymond Shaffer Stahl.  He received his B.M. and M.A. degrees from the prestigious Eastman School of Music at The University of Rochester, graduating with top honors and having been awarded the first Rochester Prize Scholarship ever given.  While at Eastman, he played first trumpet with The Eastman Wind Ensemble under the direction of Frederick Fennel; played first trumpet with The Eastman Philharmonic under Howard Hansen; and played solo trumpet with The Rochester Philharmonic.  He also served as President of his fraternity, Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia.  While a student at Union-Endicott High School, Mr. Stahl won First Prize in The National Trumpet Championships in both 1935 and 1936 and was President of every one of his school classes from Henry B. Endicott Junior High School through his senior year at Union-Endicott, where he was also class salutatorian, delivering his graduation address on “The Power of Music”, in which he has always believed passionately.

As a First Lieutenant in The Army Air Corps, Mr. Stahl served as the pilot of a B-26 Bomber in World War II,  flying 65 combat missions over Europe – the first two of those missions on D-Day. Upon completion of his fourth combat mission, Mr. Stahl's plane was so badly burned and shot up that he had his crew bail out as soon as they were back over England, taking the plane in alone to belly-land without wheels on a grassy field, thereby saving the lives of his crew and of civilians on the ground, and adhering to the priorities: "The mission, the men, then me."  For valor during The Battle of the Bulge, he was awarded The Distinguished Flying Cross “for extraordinary achievement and for his courageous determination to complete the mission in the face of great dangers, reflecting the highest standards of the military service”.   In addition to The Distinguished Flying Cross, Mr. Stahl was awarded The Air Medal 13 times, The European Theater Medal with 5 Battle Stars, The Presidential Citation for the greatest accuracy in completed combat missions, The Good Conduct Medal, and The World War II Victory Medal.  He graduated at the top of his Cadet Training Class.

Upon his return from military service, Mr. Stahl taught instrumental music in The Union-Endicott public schools for 40 years, never missing a day of teaching.  Under Mr. Stahl’s direction, the U-E Band won many first place marching awards in Class A competition.  He served as Supervisor of Music of The Union-Endicott Central School District for many years; as a member of The All-American Judges Association; as Chief Judge of The Empire State Judges Association, judging bands and drum corps.  He also served as both President and Treasurer of The Broome County Music Educators Association and as a member of The Board of Directors of The Binghamton Symphony, with which he played first chair trumpet early in his career.  He has been a member of The First Baptist Church of Endicott for 75 years, donating his time and great talents as its choir director for 23 years.  In honor of his 40 years of dedicated service to music in the public schools, Mr. Stahl was presented with The Broome County Music Educators Distinguished Service Award.

While Supervisor of Music for The Union-Endicott Schools, Mr. Stahl would begin each faculty meeting by writing this on the blackboard:

“It is the intention of The Union-Endicott Music Department that each child shall know music, make music and love music to the extent that child is able.”

© Alida Augen