Lester Mahaffay

Another note: I can imagine that the service will be filled with music--heard and unheard. Ironically sitting on my piano right now is the hymn "Be Still My Soul." The text is taken from Psalm 46: 10 and from 1 Thessalonians 4:17. The tune is the stirring Finlandia. I am sure Lester would appreciate the harmonies and the words. God bless, Cheryl. Joan Loken Berdahl Joan Loken Berdahl

Dear Cheryl and Caryn - my deepest sympathy to you and the family. I was so saddened to see the obituary in the paper. With you in thought and prayer - trusting in the promises we have from Jesus. Yours, Bruce Bengtson

Dear Cheryl and family, Les was one of the first cousins that I remember as a child. He was always smiling and loved music. Mr. Potter, his band director at Sandburg who was my choir director when I was a freshman, told stories about Les when he found out that I was his cousin. We usually got to see each other at the family picnics in the summer while Grandma Mahaffay was still with us. I'm sure the heavenly band is better for him being there and I know the family welcomed him with open arms. Keeping you and the family in our prayers. With love, Karen and Carl Schultz

Dear Cheryl and girls, We are so thankful for the many posts about Les and what a wonderful example all of you are in sharing this tender time the last 2 months. Your openness helps us to prepare for that time when we , too, will transition to our real home with the Lord. We remember with love our 2 years living in Sheffield, Iowa and Doug teaching with Les. Cheryl helped me with a multitude of homemaking and mothering. Emily called our Joel “Baby Jo-Jo” and we shared our church home at Zion St. John Lutheran Church in Sheffield. Always, we attended Les’s concerts and enjoyed his musical talent and witty personality. Then a move to Belmond, Iowa brought you to Doug’s hometown and church so we got to connect on visits home and check in on how Caryn was growing up along with Emily! When Alyssa was born, Les & Cheryl agreed that she was “the cherry on top” completing the family. You all have been blessed with the life of a wonderful and devoted Husband, Dad, and Grandpa. And he has been a blessing to us and many others. We thank God for his life and send our love to all of you. May the Lord hold you close until we meet again. Doug and Diana Pals

Feb. 6, 2019 -- I just today learned of Lester's passing. I am in shock, knowing that his father lived to at least 107. I thought Lester would live that long, too. ... I played tuba next to Lester in the Carl Sandburg High School band (Orland Park, IL) and followed him to Luther College (Decorah, Iowa). Lester was a real hero and role model for me. Lester had the best tuba sound I ever heard. I don't care who you name. He began playing tuba as a high school freshman. By his sophomore year, he was principal tuba in the Illinois all-state band AND orchestra and was studying with Arnold Jacobs of the Chicago Symphony. For his high school graduation present, Lester's parents bought him a 6/4-size Holton -York, the copy of Jacobs' legendary York tuba, the tuba equivalent of a Stradivarius violin. I remember when the Holton people came to Carl Sandburg High School to hear Lester play on our 4/4-size Holton upright, 3-valve, bell front tuba. Based on what they heard, the Holton people made Lester's 6/4-Holton-York even BIGGER than the specs called for, bigger bore, bigger bell. Wow! The Mahaffay family was the landlord for our band director, Milton Potter. The Potter house was literally in the back yard of the Mahaffay house. It was meant to be. Lester would stay after school to practice his horn for 3 hours until Potter was ready to go home. Then he would ride home with Potter. I used to sit with Lester while he practiced. I can tell you, with no exaggeration (because I timed him), that Lester could play a full 40 seconds on one breath--no circular breathing involved--not just holding one note pianissimo, but observing ALL the dynamics of the melodic line. He had that much air. He had a very long torso and was a great athlete--a wrestler and a Red Cross life saver swimmer. After school, when Lester practiced, people from all over the high school would set up chairs in the hall outside the bandroom to hear him play. This was students and teachers from all departments. Lester's strongest quality was his incredibly deep, velvety, lyrical TONE. It was common for those in the hall outside the band room to fall asleep because Lester's sound was so fantastically beautiful and restful. I considered Lester to be the "Mstislav Rostropovich" of the tuba. In the Sandburg High School yearbook, under Lester's senior photo, the caption reads, "The man with the brains ... and the HORN!" And you should have heard him at his senior recital at Luther!!! People came out of that recital literally shaking their heads in near disbelief, talking about Lester's "fantastic tone quality." What a shame that Luther did not record Lester's senior recital for future students to hear. What a treasure that would have been! The only recording I have of Lester solo is from high school. Like me, Lester also studied with Jerry Cimera (Bohimir Kryl and Sousa bands) and played one of Jerry's favorite trombone warhorses, "Marceau Symphonique," very demanding in terms of range and technique. Lester was scheduled to be the featured soloist on Luther band tour!! But the school declared him academically ineligible to be in the band. Lester was "eligible" for only 2 of his 4 years at Luther and subsequently only appears on ONE Luther band recording. I believe that, in later years, Luther repented of this very ill-advised policy. Lester went on to earn a Master's Degree in Tuba Performance and had a career as a high school band director. In my 37 years in Dallas, I have heard quite a few top-level tuba players who have come through town on tour. The Dallas area is also LOADED with tuba virtuosi who actually live in the area, but to this day I have never heard any tuba player to equal the sound of Lester Mahaffay. I'm so very sorry to hear of his death. I loved him. He was a hero and role model to me. Sincerely, Frederic Martin Luther College Concert Band, '63--'66, '69--'71 14833 Spring Creek Road Apt. 236 Dallas, TX 75248