Shantz, Robert Laverne (1938-2019)
Robert “Bob” Laverne Shantz: musician, teacher and churchman; born 7 November 1938 in Kitchener, Ontario, Canada to Mahlon Weber Shantz (18 February 1914-10 January 1999) and Mary Cressman Shantz (30 December 1915-26 January 1998). He was the eldest of six sons and one daughter. On 24 June 1972, Bob married Janice Ebersole, daughter of Richard Ebersole (16 October 1920-10 November 2014) and Geraldine Hummel (15 January 1920-25 December 1987) in Akron, Pennsylvania, USA. They had two sons, Ryan and Landon, two daughters, Erin (Brophy) and Lauren (1983-1989) and seven grandchildren. Robert had a fatal heart attack at home in Kitchener, Ontario on 23 September 2019. He is buried at Mannheim Mennonite Church.
As a lad, Bob moved with his parents and siblings from fertile farmland near Preston (now Cambridge) to the tiny village of Byng near Lake Erie. It took hard work, but Haldimand County clay produced vegetables, chickens thrived, and a small business provided some income, but life had setbacks for the growing family. Bob left Dunnville High School after grade 10, working at farm-related jobs and a meat packing plant to boost family finances. At age 16, he began truck driving, a love almost as great as music.
Bob, age 12, was baptized as a member of the joint Rainham and South Cayuga Mennonite churches where the Shantzes shared their musical gifts. Learning to sing and read music was as natural as breathing in the family. Bob and his siblings, Ruth and Murray at ages seven, six and four, sang three-part trios, Bob played in the school band and at age 15 began leading a church choir begun by his father in Dunnville. Bob took private lessons in violin, trumpet, piano, music theory and voice as he could find teachers, time and money. He played violin in the St. Catharines Civic Orchestra (1954-58).
Bob’s hunger for learning lured him to Ontario Mennonite Bible School in Kitchener for the 1958 winter term. In 1961 he moved to Kitchener to attend Ontario Mennonite Bible Institute, supporting himself as a salesman and truck driver. He always found time to sing – simultaneously with the Philharmonic Choir, Schneider Male Choir (1960-68) and Menno Singers (1960-83), all based in Kitchener-Waterloo – and kept his chair with the St. Catharines orchestra, continued private lessons and conducted the Dunnville choir as well as a Bethel Mennonite Church choir. He attended Mannheim Mennonite Church near Kitchener where he led singing, organized music groups for special occasions, taught adult Sunday school and served on committees.
In 1967, Bob decided to pursue a career in music. Just shy of age 30, he enrolled at Goshen College, graduating in 1972 with a BA in Music Education. During his college years, he was Minister of Music at Nappanee Mennonite Church and taught music part time at Bethany Christian School and St. John’s Catholic Junior High School. He also found and married the love of his life, Janice Ebersole. They became active members of Mannheim Mennonite Church a year later,
Rockway Mennonite Collegiate called Bob back to Kitchener in 1973. There he headed the music department until 1996, taught Religious Studies, Music Theory and developed excellent junior and senior choral, orchestra and band programs. Using his professional driving skills, Bob operated the school bus, transporting his choirs to Mennonite and other churches for concerts and worship services. Rockway ensembles earned numerous top awards at local Kiwanis festivals and the senior choir participated in Mennonite High School Music Festivals across Canada and the USA, singing in churches enroute. By invitation in 1989, the senior choir, along with nine other high school and college choirs, performed with the Manhattan Philharmonic Orchestra at Carnegie Hall in New York City.
During a sabbatical year (1981-82), Bob took his family to Dallas, Texas where he earned a Masters degree in choral and orchestral conducting at Southern Methodist University. He returned to Rockway and for seven years also conducted the University of Waterloo Choir. As a choir member and frequent soloist with Menno Singers, he at times directed the choir and accompanying orchestra when illness sidelined the conductor. He also conducted the Jubilation Male Choir and occasional concerts by The Martin Family Singers into retirement.
During his teaching years, Bob spent summers driving a Home Hardware truck and after retirement, satisfied his love of trucks by driving an Erb Transport refrigeration truck (eight years) and a tri-axle dump truck (12 years) before finally retiring at age 78. He never retired from making music or serving the church!
Bob gained respect everywhere for his authenticity, inspiration, passion and commitment to ensure that music remained an integral part of Anabaptist worship. As a teacher, his sympathetic concern for students was foremost. Former Rockway colleague Dennis Wikerd in a tribute noted: “Bob was truly a gift ... He had an uncanny ability to genuinely connect with hearts and souls of people ... and will always be lovingly remembered.”
Bibliography
Data provided by the Shantz family: David, Janice and Ruth Helle (January 2020)
“Robert Laverne Shantz 1938 – 2019.” Erb & Good Family Funeral Home. October 2019. Web. 28 January 2020. https://erbgood.com/tribute/details/14720/Robert-Shantz/obituary.html.
Steiner, Samuel J. Lead Us On: A History of Rockway Mennonite Collegiate. Kitchener, Ont.: Rockway Mennonite Collegiate, 1995.
Wikerd, Dennis. Tribute shared at Rockway Mennonite Collegiate retired teachers and staff breakfast, 19 October 2019.
| Author(s) | Ferne Burkhardt |
|---|---|
| Date Published | January 2020 |
Cite This Article
MLA style
Burkhardt, Ferne. "Shantz, Robert Laverne (1938-2019)." Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. January 2020. Web. 19 Apr 2024. https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Shantz,_Robert_Laverne_(1938-2019)&oldid=172695.
APA style
Burkhardt, Ferne. (January 2020). Shantz, Robert Laverne (1938-2019). Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. Retrieved 19 April 2024, from https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Shantz,_Robert_Laverne_(1938-2019)&oldid=172695.
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