Dorman Roderick Fendlason

Dorman Roderick Fendlason, 82, well known musician and teacher, died peacefully at his home on Saturday, Aug. 8, 2009 after a lengthy illness.

He is survived by his wife of 58 years, Lydia Lee Fendlason; one daughter, Anne Marguerite Fendlason of Austin, Texas and one brother, Dr. Donald W. Fendlason of Talledega, Ala.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Jason D. Fendlason; his brother, J.D. Fendlason Jr.; a sister, Marguerite “Geetsy” Fendlason Treibel and two years ago, his daughter Victoria Joyce Fendlason.

A native of Bogalusa, he graduated from Bogalusa High School in 1944. He held three degrees from Southeastern Louisiana University: Bachelor of Music Education, Bachelor of Music in Performance and Master of Music Education. He was a charter member of the SLU Delta Omega chapter of Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia and a member of the honor society of Phi Kappa Phi.

In his thirty-six years of teaching, Mr. Fendlason, or “Prof” as some of his students called him, taught thousands of young people to play and enjoy good band music. Many of them remember him with great fondness.

Through the years, he continued his education annually in the area of band instrument repair. He was certified by and a long time member of the National Association of Professional Band Instrument Repair Technicians (NAPBIRT) and served as a Regional Director.

Following his retirement from the Bogalusa school system he pursued a second career as a master band instrument repair technician. He serviced the bands in Washington, St. Tammany and Tangipahoa Parishes and parts of Mississippi. When he closed his repair business and retired, he donated all his specialized tools and machines to the NAPBIRT education program to be used in teaching other repair students.

Fendlason also was active as a performer playing with several bands and organizations in the area. He formed the Bogalusa Brass in 1990, which played for weddings, church services, local concerts and Christmas caroling.

He was a veteran of the United States Navy, serving in Hawaii as director of the Navy Band No. 46 for two years.

Fendlason was a member and a deacon of Bogalusa First Baptist Church. He also held memberships in Center Lodge 244 F&AM, Royal Arch and Commandery chapters and Jerusalem Shrine Temple.

Visitation was held Tuesday, August 11, from 5 p.m. until 9 p.m., with Masonic rites beginning at 7 p.m.

The funeral service will be at Poole-Ritchie Funeral Home on Wednesday at 3 p.m. Interment will be in Ponemah Cemetery in Bogalusa.

In lieu of flowers, the family request donations are made to the Organ Fund at Bogalusa First Baptist Church, 541 Avenue F, Bogalusa, LA 70427.