Steven L. Thomas

Steven L. Thomas Steven Llewellyn Thomas, 49, passed away on July 12 at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, following complications from a stem cell transplant for acute myeloblastic leukemia. His wife, Susan Minsavage, was by his side. Steven was Professor of Music and served as chair of the Division of Performing Arts at Wilkes University in Wilkes-Barre, PA. Steven was born in Kansas City on July 14, 1970, to Timothy F. and Marian M. Thomas. He was adored by his older brother Peter John, and his younger sister, Julia Lee. Sensitive to music from a young age, Steven studied piano and clarinet and sang in the boys' choir at Grace & Holy Trinity Cathedral. He graduated from Kansas City's Southwest High School in 1988 as Valedictorian and National Merit Scholar, and became an Eagle Scout the same year. He studied at Harvard University, majoring in music and graduating cum laude in 1992. He was awarded the Doctor of Musical Arts degree in choral conducting from Yale University. While a graduate student he taught 20th- century choral music to gifted high school students at the Governor's School of North Carolina for five summers. Steven became Director of Choral Activities at Wilkes University in 1999, teaching music history and music theory classes and directing the Wilkes University Chorus and Wilkes University Chamber Singers. He sang second tenor with the Lyric Consort, an eight-member professional a cappella ensemble. He also composed music, including the choral work Arise, my love, my fair one, using words from Song of Solomon, written for his brother's wedding, and the organ work Fantasy on MELITA composed for his grandfather's funeral. In 2004 he became Music Director of the Robert Dale Chorale (later renamed the Arcadia Chorale), a semi-professional choir of 24 voices. He married the love of his life, Sue, a voice teacher at Wilkes University, in 2006. Steven was active in the American Choral Directors Association, serving as College and University Repertoire and Standards Chair of ACDA's Pennsylvania chapter. He led the Robert Dale Chorale in performance at the ACDA regional convention in Philadelphia in 2010. His leadership of the annual Northeast Pennsylvania Bach Festival inspired countless musicians and audience members, especially with transcendent performances of major works by J.S. Bach: St. John Passion (2009), B Minor Mass (2013) and St. Matthew Passion (2018). He always included college singers with the professional singers for these concerts, hoping to inspire his love of Bach's music to grow in them. Steven believed the world needs more beauty, and dedicated his life to adding to that beauty through music. His artistry will be greatly missed. In addition to his wife, Steven is survived by his parents, Timothy F. and Marian (McCaa) Thomas of Leawood; his brother Peter (Diana Steele), of Oberlin, Ohio, his sister Julie, of Overland Park; nieces Mariana and Eliza Jane Thomas; aunt Mary McCaa, uncles, Brian (Sue Morgan) and Jeffrey (Mary Harmon) Thomas; cousins Craig and Jim McCaa, and Jocelyn, Lincoln, and Devin Thomas. He is mourned by his Minsavage sisters- and brothers-in-law, their spouses, and four nieces and nephews. Memorial contributions may be made to the Arcadia Chorale, 555 Northern Blvd #350, Chinchilla, PA 18410, or to the American Cancer Society's Hope Lodge in Cheltenham, PA: www.cancer.org. A private cremation service was held in Media, PA on July 14. A public celebration of Steven's life will be held in Wilkes-Barre, PA. Friends and family in the Kansas City area will gather for a memorial service at Westport Presbyterian Church. Dates will be announced later.