Helen Marla Mutschler
Dr. Helen Marla Mutschler, passed away quietly in her sleep, Wednesday, Sept. 13, 2017 in Oro Valley, Ariz. following several months of respiratory illness. She was born Jan. 21, 1935 in Nappanee to LaMar and Mary (Slipher) Mutschler, President of Mutschler Brothers Company, in Nappanee for many years. The third girl of three children, Marla primarily used her middle name for most of her life.
Marla attended school in Nappanee and was an accomplished musician from an early age, playing violin, flute and piano. She studied violin with Mr. George Zigmont Gaska in South Bend and played in the South Bend-Mishawaka Junior Symphony during her high school years.
In 1952, Marla continued her music education at DePauw University in Greencastle. While a sophomore at DePauw, Marla won a violin competition to solo with the Indianapolis Symphony. In 1954, Marla transferred to Eastman School of Music in Rochester, N.Y., where she gained much experience playing in the Eastman Orchestra and the Rochester Philharmonic. After graduation from Eastman in 1956, Marla received a Fullbright Scholarship to study in Austria. She learned German and used it as her primary language during 1957 for study at the Mozarteum in Salzburg, Austria.
Marla moved back to the United States in late 1957 and continued her music studies with Dr. Paul Rolland at the University of Illinois. She also played in the Dallas Symphony from 1959 – 1961, took a teaching position at Del Mar College in Corpus Christi, Texas 1959-1967, and performed with the Corpus Christi Symphony from 1962-1967. The years of study at the University of Illinois resulted in Marla being awarded a Master’s degree for Violin Performance in 1959 and a Doctorate in 1973. She coauthored a book about music education and also worked with Paul Rolland and several other string teachers in presenting workshops on teaching violin in Europe, Australia and the United States.
Marla’s university music teaching career continued in 1972 at University of Wisconsin at Parkside, in 1975 at the University of North Carolina in Greensboro, then in 1983 at Miami University in Miami, FL and finally in 1989 at Arizona State University in Tempe Arizona. She retired in 1999, having developed many outstanding students and musicians. In retirement Marla moved to Oro Valley, AZ where she was active in St. Mark’s United Methodist Church, Tucson, Ariz.
Marla is preceded in death by her beloved parents and eldest sister, Barbara Mutschler Dixon. She is survived by her sister, Margaret Mutschler (John) Armantrout, also of Oro Valley, Ariz. Marla was full of joy and loved doing humorous skits at workshops or composing long silly poems for special occasions. We will remember her as a generous friend and caring aunt to all her nieces, nephews and extended family.
Family and friends may call from 1-3 p.m., Thursday, Sept. 21, 2017 at Thompson-Lengacher & Yoder Funeral Home in Nappanee. Funeral services will begin at 3 p.m. with Rev. Jim Davidson, pastor at Nappanee United Methodist Church, officiating. Burial will follow in Union Center Cemetery.
In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to Friends For Life Humane Shelter in Mesa, AZ or the Arizona State University School of Music String Project which offers low-cost high-quality instruction for middle and high school students on orchestral stringed instruments. Please contact by email [email protected] for more information.