Person Page - 635

     John Pierrepont Sturges Jr. is the son of John Pierrepont Sturges and Alice Chalifoux Ellsworth.¹ He married Margaret E. Kelsey, daughter of Arthur C. Kelsey and Louise Martien, on 19 August 1972 at Marlboro, Windham County, Vermont.¹

     Peter Hazard Sturges is the son of John Pierrepont Sturges and Alice Chalifoux Ellsworth.¹ He married Kristine Faith Hibbs on 1 December 1985 at Stateline, Douglas County, Nevada.²

     Rowland Gibson Hazard Sturges was born on 22 September 1916 at Rhode Island.^1,3 He was the son of Rush Sturges and Elizabeth Hazard.¹ He married Hedvig Mary Von Mayrhauser in July 1943 at Kansas City, Jackson County, Missouri.⁴ He died on 5 August 2007 at Concord, Middlesex County, Massachusetts, at age 90.³

Rowland G.H. Sturges
September 22, 1916 - August 05, 2007

Rowland Gibson Hazard Sturges died at age 90 on Sunday, August fifth, twenty-three days after the death of his beloved wife, Hedvig von Mayrhauser Sturges, and two days after what would have been their sixty-fourth wedding anniversary. Rowland resided in Concord since 2003, during which time he suffered from Alzheimer's disease. Prior to Concord, Rowland lived in Cambridge for more than sixty years.

A musical prodigy at a young age, Rowland studied piano with Nadia Boulanger in Paris from 1932-35 and in 1938. Rowland graduated from Milton Academy in 1936. In 1940 Rowland received his B.A. from Harvard University, where he was a member of the Signet Club. While at Harvard, Rowland studied with Walter Piston, and also with David Barnett, Bruce Simons, Lily Dumont and Gregory Tucker. Rowland served in the Army during World War II and was posted at a base in Kansas City, MO when he met his future wife Hedvig.

Rowland Sturges was an active concert soloist throughout his life. His debut recital was at Boston's Jordan Hall in 1952, and he gave another recital there in 1954. Rowland was also a featured soloist with the Boston Civic Symphony, and he gave many concerts at Isabella Stuart Gardiner Museum, the Longy School and other museum and university venues. A member of Boston's Trio de Camera, Rowland played chamber music at Harvard University and throughout New England. Many of these performances were broadcast on radio and television. In his later years Rowland gave several concerts at the Harvard Institute for Learning in Retirement (HILR) and at Boston's Hale House. Rowland also faithfully attended HILR for many years, concentrating his studies in philosophy and history.

Teaching music was a major facet of Rowland's career--he had many private students, but he also was a long-time faculty member of the Longy School. In 1988, Longy presented Rowland with a distinguished service award. Due to his flair for lecturing on music, Rowland served as Musician in Residence at the Breadloaf Writers' Conference at Middlebury College from 1952-1955. Rowland also served as Choral Director at the Buckingham School from 1950 to 1968, and at Concord Academy from 1960 to 1968. A lifelong member of the Harvard Musical Association, Rowland also worked tirelessly over decades for the Community Music Center of Boston.

Mr. Sturges leaves his loving children, Alice Sturges Steinman, and her husband, Ira, of Mill Valley, California, Howard Sturges, and his wife, Priscilla, of Concord, Massachusetts and Jeffrey Sturges of Santa Monica, California. He leaves grandchildren Timnah Steinman, of Oakland, California, Joshua Steinman, and his wife, Paige, of San Francisco, and Polly and Phoebe Sturges, of Concord.

A Memorial Concert will be performed in Rowland's honor at the Longy School of Music, 1 Follen Street, Cambridge, Massachusetts at 7 p.m on November 30, 2007.

Burial services at Mt. Auburn Cemetery will be private.

In lieu of flowers, contributions in Rowland's memory may be made to the Community Music Center of Boston, 34 Warren Avenue, Boston 02116.

Published on the Dee Funeral Home website.³

     Rush Sturges was a lawyer.² He was born on 19 August 1879 at Providence, Providence County, Rhode Island, Please note that on the 1935 Rhode Island census card Rush entered his birthdate as 21 Oct 1880.^3,4,5,6 He was the son of Howard Okie Sturges and Alice Spring Knight.⁴ He married Elizabeth Hazard before 1908.¹ He died in March 1967 at Rhode Island at age 87.³

     Rush Sturges is the son of Peter Hazard Sturges and Kristine Faith Hibbs.¹

     Sandol Milliken Sturges also went by the name of Sandy.³ She was born on 15 May 1942 at Rhode Island.^2,4,3 She was the daughter of Benjamin Rush Sturges and Mary DeForest Stoddard.¹ She married Jonathan Harsch in 1962 at USA.³ She died on 20 November 2018 at Ireland at age 76.³

RTÉ Radio 1 presenter Sandy Harsch dies aged 76

The death has occurred of RTÉ Radio 1 music presenter Sandy Harsch (76), who has died unexpectedly after a short illness.

As well as Country Time, Sandy co-presented Sisters Doing It For Themselves with Lilian Smith, and had been a contributor to both Arena and Lest we Forget.

After moving to Ireland from the US in 1960, Harsch worked as a freelance photo-journalist in music retail and wholesale and then as chief photographer, record reviewer, and interviewer for Hot Press magazine.

She got her start in radio at RTÉ as a guest critic with Pat Kenny on Outside Track and worked regularly as a panelist, critic, and producing feature items. She moved onto the independent nationwide station Century Radio presenting The Country Store in 1989, and then presented a syndicated show on nine local stations.

In 1996, she rejoined RTÉ and started presenting Country Time, winning a devoted audience of Irish country music devotees. In her lifetime, Sandy interviewed many of the top country artists, including Dierks Bentley, Merle Haggard, Martina McBride, and Sugarland.

Following the news of her death, Head of RTÉ Radio 1 Tom McGuire said: "Sandy Harsch had an encyclopedic knowledge and a tremendous love of American Country music.

"This knowledge and love permeated 'Country Time' on RTÉ Radio 1 and Sandy's unique broadcasting style created a wonderful welcome mat for a most appreciative audience on a Saturday night.

"She had met and played with many of the stars of country music and her anecdotes and stories gave new life to the playlists she chose for every show. As a colleague Sandy was much loved in the radio centre and staff here are heartbroken at her sudden passing."

Sandy Harsch was a recipient of the CMA International Broadcaster Award, which recognizes outstanding achievement by radio broadcasters outside the United States who have made important contributions toward the development of Country Music in their country.

Upon receiving that award, she said: "Country Music has been a huge part of my life since I was a kid. I have been sharing this passion on air for 22 years and I am totally honoured that the CMA thinks I am doing a good job. Country is a wonderful part of my life and it is a knockout to be given an award. Thank you so, so much."⁵



The death has occurred of Sandy HARSCH (née Sturges)
Bray, Wicklow

Sandy Harsch (née Sturges) of Bray, Co. Wicklow, passed away peacefully on 20th November, 2018, dearly loved Mum of Caitriona and Rebecca, incredibly devoted Granny of Jessica, Max and Benjamin, dear sister of Rush Sturges (San Francisco) and Dorothy Sturges (Arizona), fondly remembered by her sons-in-law Paul and Jonathan, extended family, friends and colleagues in the music industry.

A Service to Celebrate Sandy’s Life will take place in Colliers Funeral Home, Old Connaught Avenue, Bray on Saturday (1st December) at 11.00am followed by private burial. Family flowers only please. Donations, if desired, to the DSPCA can be made at the funeral home or online at dspca.ie.⁶



Sandy Harsch obituary: Late night country music broadcaster

She was also an art photographer and instrumental in creating the ‘Georgian Doors’ poster

The RTÉ Radio One country music presenter and one-time writer-photographer with Hot Press magazine, Sandy Harsch (nee Sturges) has died unexpectedly after a short illness. Harsch’s encyclopaedic knowledge and tremendous love of country music kept fans tuned into late night radio on Saturday nights for more than 20 years. One fan tweeted after her death: “Sandy’s voice picked you up, flew you over the great plains, dragged you into real America and brought America into your home.” As well as Country Time, Harsch co-presented with Lilian Smith Sisters Are Doing it For Themselves a summer series about female singers and songwriters across the globe.

At a memorial event for Harsch in RTÉ Radio Centre in Donnybrook, Tom McGuire, head of RTÉ Radio One, said Harsch had met many of the stars of country music and her anecdotes gave new life to the playlists she chose for every show. “Sandy’s unique broadcasting style created a wonderful welcome mat for a most appreciative audience on a Saturday night,” said McGuire.

Born the youngest of three girls in Rhode Island, Sandy developed her love of country music from an early age by attending barn and square dances. She became further immersed in country music while she worked for several summers on a ranch in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. There she learned to groom and care for horses and made money barrel racing horses at rodeos.

Moved to Ireland
She attended the private liberal arts college in Bennington, Vermont, for a year and left to get married to Jonathan Harsch in 1962. The couple moved to Ireland and their daughters, Caitriona (1969) and Rebecca (1974) were born and grew up in Killiney, Co Dublin. The marriage didn’t last and Jonathan returned to the US.

Harsch remained in Ireland and brought up the girls on her own – fluidly and warmly juggling her private and professional responsibilities. “Life was always interesting and varied for us as we got to meet many of the people our mother worked with. We were brought along to photo shoots and many gigs,” her daughters recall. Rehearsals for Davy Spillane’s first solo album, Atlantic Bridge, took place in her large spacious home in Killiney in the mid-1980s.

Harsch’s first forays into journalism were to take photographs of the Troubles for an American magazine. She also photographed artworks in the National Gallery and was instrumental in the creation of the first “Georgian Doors” poster. But, her core interest lay in music and she became the main photographer for Hot Press magazine when it was first published in 1977. She later wrote for the magazine for several years.

‘Discerning critic’
Hot Press editor Niall Stokes said Harsch was one of the original crazy gang. “She was a very discerning critic and we were proud to have her on board as a writer and photographer. But, I think it is fair to say that she truly found her métier as a broadcaster. She was thoughtful and articulate. With her wonderfully calm, authoritative voice, she brought country music to life in the most extraordinary way for listeners.”

Harsch got her start in radio as a guest critic with Pat Kenny on The Outside Track. She worked regularly in RTÉ Radio One as a panellist, critic and producer of feature items. She moved to present The Country Store on Century Radio in 1989 but returned to RTÉ in 1996 to start presenting Country Time. With producer Aidan Butler at the helm, she interviewed all the country stars and developed great rapport with the likes of Emmylou Harris, Kris Kristofferson, Brad Paisley, JD Souther, Gillian Welch and David Rawlings. The show also broadcast live from Music Row, Nashville, twice, and in 2011, Harsch won the Country Music Association Broadcaster Award for outstanding achievement by radio broadcasters outside the US.

Reading
Outside her work as a broadcaster, Harsch had a voracious appetite for books, reading everything from fiction to feminism, history and politics. She did the Simplex and Crosaire crosswords in The Irish Times daily. She continued to ride horses until too many concussions from falls forced her to stop. She enjoyed sewing, quilting, cooking, entertaining and pub quizzes with a group of close friends. She also loved gardening – both in her Killiney home and later in the walled cottage garden in her home in Bray, Co Wicklow, which she shared with her five cats.

Her close friend Carmel Forsythe said Sandy was the most amazing, interesting, loving, caring, generous, friendly and intelligent person she has ever known. Her daughters – both of whom live in the US with their spouses and children – say that she was a fiercely proud mother and grandmother. “She was very attentive – sending care packages and making many trips to the east and west coast of the United States where we live even though she hated flying,” say Caitriona and Rebecca.

Cardiac problems
Sandy Harsch was in good health before her unexpected death from cardiac problems.

Her last Country Time will be aired on RTÉ Radio One, on Christmas night, at 9pm.

Sandy Harsch is survived by her daughters, Caitriona and Rebecca; their spouses and her grandchildren, Jessica, Max and Benjamin, her brother Rush Sturges (San Francisco) and sister Dorothy Sturges (Arizona).³

     Thomas Sturges married Mary Rush, daughter of William Rush, before 1844.¹

     Thomas Rush Sturges was born on 27 September 1904 at Providence County, Rhode Island.¹ He was the son of Walter Knight Sturges and Marie A. Hayes.¹ He and Olivia Dulany Wheeler were engaged circa 3 June 1925 at USA.² He married Olivia Dulany Wheeler, daughter of J. Harold Wheeler Jr., on 10 October 1925 at USA.^2,3 He and Olivia Dulany Wheeler were divorced circa 1930.⁴

     Walter Knight Sturges was born in December 1876 at Rhode Island.¹ He was the son of Howard Okie Sturges and Alice Spring Knight.¹ He married Marie A. Hayes circa 1903 at USA.³

     Arrie Sublett was born circa 1878 at Texas.³ She married George Young London, son of James Martin London and Sarah Josephine Spencer, on 3 November 1895 at Denton County, Texas.^1,2 She married Walter D. Daniels, son of Isaac Dinson Daniels and Amanda Hawkins, on 16 October 1917 at Van Zandt County, Texas.⁴