Obituaries

Dr. John Otto Westlund 90, passed away peacefully on the evening of Sunday September 20th, at Hospice of St. Elizabeth in Edgewood, Kentucky with his daughter, Allison and his Son, Todd by his side.

John was born in Topeka, Kansas on December 21, 1935, the middle child and only son of his Swedish parents, Otto and Florena Westlund. He had an older sister, Shirley, and a younger sister, Alice. His childhood was spent on the family farm going barefoot all summer, helping with the chickens, pigs, horses, the garden and orchard, horseback riding the plow horses and playing cowboys and Indians in the cornfield. He had a wonderful, carefree childhood and said that the joy of the outdoors and appreciation for the simple gifts of life shaped his thinking forever.

They moved to a house on Orchard Street in town and his love for music began to develop. He was in the children’s choir, and his dad bought him his first trumpet at an auction for $3.50. He also played the viola and the ukulele and actually handcrafted two of those for his children and a Kentucky Mountain Dulcimer which he gifted to a granddaughter. His daughters favorite Ukulele campfire songs he would sing were "Sweet Violets" and "Cool Water," a good old cowboy song.

He attended Washburn University in Topeka where he completed his bachelor’s degree in music education. Music had become important to him especially through the church they attended in Topeka which was West Side Baptist Church which happened to have a lot of Swedish families. It became a very important part of the first 23 years of his life. The choir director at the time saw how important music was becoming to John and he stepped aside for a couple of years to allow him to direct the church choir, earn some money and gain some experience. During this time, he worked with his father, Otto who was a self-employed handyman. There was lots of painting, wallpapering and odd jobs to be done. He loved the two years working closely with his father during this time.

John joined the Army in 1958 through the Kansas National Guard in Fort Leonardwood, Missouri. The best time of day, according to John, was receiving letters from Peggy Webb who was in Graduate School at the University of Michigan. Their love for each other grew through the letters they wrote to each other and when he went home for Christmas he proposed to her. He then was transferred to Ft. Chaffee, Arkansas where they discovered that he was older and had a college degree, so they made him a squad leader.

John returned to finish his Masters in Music Education degree at the University of Kansas in Lawrence. His first job after completing his degree was at West Junior High School teaching instrumental music. Peggy was hired by the same district to teach Kindergarten at an elementary school as a kindergarten teacher. During this time John married his beautiful Kansas Sunflower, Peggy, on August 23, 1959.

After John returned from the Army Reserve, they began their family by adopting Allison in 1963 and Todd in 1966.

In 1964, John finished his Master’s and then attended two workshops with the renowned Choral Director, Robert Shaw at the Meadowbrook School of Music at Oakland University in Michigan. In 1967, Peggy, John, Allison and baby Todd camped for 6 weeks in a 15-foot travel trailer at Paradise Beach, Holly, Michigan, while John attended the Robert Shaw workshop again with final concerts featuring Haydn and Bach at Christ Church Cranbrook in Detroit.

His first year at Washington High School he taught 5 classes a day including different choirs and theory classes. He also held rehearsals for the 15-voice Madrigal Society, attended Army Reserve meetings, rehearsed for musicals, had duty at school football games and directed a Church choir.

John decided he wanted to teach at the college level and so he began applying for jobs and he received a contract from William Penn College in Oskaloosa, Iowa in 1967. It was a wonderful, small college town to raise their family with so many dear people that would become lifelong friends. He held the Choral Director position and later he was also named chair of the Fine Arts Department.

From 1973 to 1975 John completed his Doctorate at the University of Iowa and did his dissertation on all four of Johann Nepomuk Hummels masses for a Doctorate of Musical Arts (DMA) with a performance degree in Choral Conducting. His new title would be Dr. John O. Westlund.

In 1976 the Westlund Family moved to Kentucky. Of course, they bought a horse which also led to yet another church choir job. John took a position at Northern Kentucky University as the Choral Director and then later in 1979 became the Coordinator of Music (a part-time position) and then in 1994 he was asked to temporarily run the department as chair. (A full-time position) He returned to full-time teaching in 1988 and then retired in 2000. They continued to make more wonderful, long lasting friendships in Northern Kentucky and beyond its borders.

Along this journey John directed Church choirs of several different denominations.

(Baptist) Westside Baptist, in Topeka, Kansas. He spoke fondly of his childhood Church where he was raised and where he was taught with a biblical foundation and grew in his love not only for the Lord, but also for his God-given gift of teaching, appreciating music and inspiring others with music, serving others and loving well.

(Methodist) in Kansas City, Kansas.

(Presbyterian) in Oskaloosa, Iowa.

(Quaker) College Avenue Friends, Oskaloosa, Iowa. This Church was connected to William Penn College, where John taught. They had many dear friends who belonged to this church and several of them, including farm families, college professors, college students, and a Pastor, Tom Palmer and his wife, Jan, who visited John and Peggy here in Kentucky with a group of other former students not long ago. Both Tom and Jan had been former students of John’s at the college as well. It was a joyful reunion full of hymn singing, laughter, some tears and lots of love!

(Lutheran) Trinity Lutheran Church in Mt. Healthy, Ohio. The Lord was obviously working in this one. The Westlund‘s went to look at a horse for their daughter, Allison and it turned out that the owner was the organist of this Church and they were looking for a Choir Director. They walked away with a horse, a new choir job and a beautiful long lasting friendship with the Organist, Nancy Tolford-Peeno. They made much God glorifying music in this Church together. It was a long drive to get there twice weekly, but the love they felt there was worth the trip.

(Non-Denominational) United Church of Christ in Newport, Kentucky. John spent many years at this Church with his family and led the Church Choir with beautiful music. In fact, he began to bring in trained soloists and instrumental musicians for special occasions and even began a Concert Series. He developed a close working relationship and friendship with the Organist, Mike Sullivan. They brought beautiful, unique and challenging music to the Choir and the congregation. They developed many long, lasting friendships in this Church.

In the last several years John attended an (Evangelical) Grace Fellowship Church with his daughter, Allison and her husband Matt. He enjoyed the solid Biblical preaching there and had visited with Peggy annually many years prior. He sat in Matt and Allison’s Sunday School class each Sunday where the 3-year-olds considered him a Grandfather figure and called him “Mr. John” with great fondness. One of his college students played in the Church worship band and several members and homeschoolers had sung in the Community Chorus with him as well. John’s funeral will be held there just as Peggy’s was.

John decided to start the Northern Kentucky Community Chorus in 1980. He wanted anyone who loved music to have a way to come together to perform major works of choral music. Every two years the chorus would perform Handel's Messiah, which everyone looked forward to, both choir members and their audiences. He also, along with Peggy, took the choirs on many choir tours to European countries to perform in spectacular cathedrals. In 2012 due to severe hearing loss in one ear, he chose to step down as the director which was so hard for him. If you were to ask any choir member, they would tell you how much fun Dr. Westlund was to sing for. He kept it fun but also challenged them with the music he selected for the different choirs. He had a disposition that was one of gentle humility. His college students were such a joy to him and he wanted to see them succeed and flourish in their love for music. There is no end to the sweet stories they share of their love and respect for their professor whom many lovingly called, DJ (for Doctor John) His favorite choir member always was his wife, Peggy who beamed as she sang from the soprano section of every choir as he directed. They were a very special couple who shared 65 years of an unusually close and loving marriage.

In 1985 John wrote a report for the National Association of Schools of Music so that NKUs Music Department could become accredited.

In 1988 john took a sabbatical and spent the Spring semester in London, England, doing research and Peggy joined him.

John’s life was not only filled with music and musicians, but his first priority was being a wonderful Husband, Father and Grandfather. He put family first and made time for them, giving his full presence to them. This was truly the happiest part of his life. He loved boating and water skiing with his family and taking vacations with them. He supported his kids in their interests of horse shows, ball games, marching band and track and Peggy and he shared the love of tennis and travel. With his abilities and training he probably could have gone much farther professionally, but that is not what he wanted. He wanted a good life for his family and that is what he provided. Friends were one of the most precious treasures to the Westlund's. They continued to maintain the friendships they had made all along this journey from Kansas to Iowa and Kentucky and beyond.

John was preceded in death by his beloved Wife of 65 years, Peggy Westlund, his Parents, Florena and Otto Westlund and his sister, Alice Westlund.

John leaves behind his children, Allison (Matt) Langford and Todd Westlund and his Grandchildren, Ezra Langford, Jane Langford, Alex (Gabe) Kramer, Evan (Amber Gover) Westlund, Emma Westlund. In addition, his Great-Grandchildren, Nora Kramer, Noah Kramer, Finnley Westlund, and Ivy Westlund. Survivors also include his sister, Shirley (and the late Gene) Newman and many cherished nieces, nephews & cousins who loved him dearly.

Services will be held for John on Wednesday, September 30th with the visitation from 4 PM to 6 PM and the funeral service beginning at 6 PM at Grace Fellowship Church, 9379 Gunpowder Rd. Florence, KY 41042. A private family graveside service will take place the following day, Thursday, October 1st at 1 PM at Highland Cemetery in Fort Mitchell. Memorial donations may be made in John’s honor to the Dementia Society of America by clicking here. Floral gifts for the family may be sent to Grace Fellowship at the above address.