A celebration of life for Kentucky Opera’s general director, David Roth, has been set for Thursday, July 30 at 2 p.m. at the Brown Theatre, 315 West Broadway in Louisville.
The celebration will include an hour-long tribute to their former leader, followed by a brief reception with soft drinks, water, champagne, and light hors d’oeuvres. Former Fund for the Arts President, Barbara Sexton Smith, will emcee the event, which will include musical interludes alongside stories and memories of Roth from close friends and family. People scheduled to perform include Jon Burton, Kara Shay Thomson, and Emily Albrink.
On Sunday, July 19, Roth was returning from a business trip in Des Moines and from visiting his family in Wisconsin. At approximately 9 p.m., he died of an apparent heart attack while driving. His attack caused his car to drive into a ditch, then hit a tree head on. The cause of death has been attributed to his heart attack.
In lieu of flowers, Kentucky Opera strongly encourages a donation to the David D. Roth Memorial Fund online here.
Community members and friends who want to share their favorite memory of Roth can email stories and photos to email@kyopera.org. Kentucky Opera will compile them for public viewing online.
For those who cannot attend, David Roth: A Celebration of Life will stream live on Periscope. Follow @kentuckyopera beginning at 2 p.m.
From the Kentucky Opera