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Kathryn "Kathy" Poling Sprouse,
Age 83, of Sewickley, Pennsylvania, (formerly of Davidsonville, MD) passed away on December 2, 2019. Born March 10, 1936, in Grantsville, West Virginia, she was a daughter of the late Corel O. and Tessa Tennant Poling. Kathy graduated from Calhoun County High School in 1952 at the age of 16. She attended West Virginia University and graduated in 1956 where she received her Bachelor of Music in public school music, with piano as her primary instrument.
While Kathy was a student at West Virginia University she was President of Delta Delta Delta and represented the School of Music in the student legislature. She was a member of Mu Phi Epsilon music honorary and represented the WVU chapter of Kappa Delta Pi education honorary at the national convention at Oklahoma State University. After graduation she moved to Maryland where she began a long teaching career and met her husband, Richard L. Sprouse, who preceded her in death.
She acquired her Master of Education in music from the University of Maryland and taught 30 years as an elementary vocal music teacher in Prince George's County, Maryland. In 1984 she was selected as one of ten outstanding teachers in the county. During her career she trained vocal music student teachers from the University of Maryland and Bowie State University.
After retiring she worked for a mechanical contracting company and also enjoyed using her piano skills accompanying soloist and choral groups, playing for church, and providing background music for receptions. She sang for 25 years with The Chesapeake Chorale, an auditioned group in the Annapolis MD area.
Kathy moved to Sewickley in 2011 to be close to her family and became active in the Sewickley Presbyterian Church choir, as well as other cultural activities in the area. She is also an ordained Elder in the Presbyterian Church, a member of DAR (Daughters of the American Revolution), life member of WVU Alumni Association and Life Member and past president of the WVU Music Alumni Association.
In 2012 Kathy established a music scholarship for deserving piano students at West Virginia University. She is survived by her sister, Edith Poling Yeager; niece, Susan Humeston Coyle; grandniece, Ave Tessa-Estelle Coyle; grandnephew, Joseph Andrew Coyle III, all of Sewickley. In addition to her husband and parents, she was predeceased by her niece, Jennifer Humeston Anderson. A private memorial will be held in Davidsonville, Maryland at a later date. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to The Parkinson's Foundation. |
