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Robert Kirkland Love Robert Kirkland “Bob” Love, 79, well known organist and choir director passed away Saturday September 21st , at his home in Medford after a brief illness. Robert was born in Melrose and educated in Malden Public Schools. At the age of nine he began taking piano lessons and progressed rapidly to the organ at the age of twelve. He took lessons from the late Dr. Edward Snow of Trinity Episcopal Church of Boston. He quickly mastered this complex instrument and at the age of fourteen became the organist for St. Paul’s Episcopal Parish of Malden. This was soon followed by his appointment at the age of seventeen as Organist and Choir Master of St. Paul’s Parish., Malden. He graduated from Malden High School with the Class of 1940. He then went on to Boston University where he majored in music. In his senior year of college he started teaching instrumental and choral classes at Malden High School on a part time basis. He received his Masters Degree in Music from Boston University in 1946. He then became Director of Music at Malden High School where he taught music appreciation and theory instilling in thousands of students a great love of music. He was also Director of the Orchestra, Choral Art Society and the Chamber Orchestra. He would perform concerts at different nursing homes around the city and traveled with these different groups through out the states giving concerts. He remained there until 1964 when he transferred to Melrose High School to become the Director of the Music Department and the Melrose High School Band until his retirement in 1972. He continued his position as organist and choir director at St. Paul’s Episcopal Parish for over twenty years until becoming the Minister of Music at the First Baptist Church in Malden where he has been the organist and choir director for the past forty -five years. In the summer season he was Director of Music at Camp Lanakila, part of the Aloha Camps, in Farlee, VT for forty-five years except for a five year period when he was Director of Music for the Bretton Woods Boys Choir in Bretton Woods, NH. He was instrumental in starting the Ecumenical Church Choir of Malden, which has preformed Christmas Concerts at the First Baptist Church of Malden for the past forty six years. He was also Director of the Choral Art Society Alumni, which would also perform concerts throughout the area. Recently the Bob Love Community Chorus sang at the 9/11 services of remembrance at the Malden Government Center He was a member of the First Baptist Church of Malden and St. Paul’s Parish of Malden and prominent in the American Guild of Organists and would perform concerts throughout New England and other states. Mr. Love lived in Medford, MA the past forty –nine years having moved there from Malden in 1953. He is survived by his Brother John F. Love of Vancouver, WA and his nieces Vivian M. Love and Victoria D. Otsuka of CA. . He was preceded in death by his sister Judith A Love of Medford. He was born December 12, 1922 in Melrose, MA the son of the late Robert and Millicent (Knipe) Love. Visitation will be held at the Weir Funeral Home, 144 Salem Street, Malden on Tuesday September 24th from 2-4 & 7-9 PM Contributions in Robert’s memory may be made to the American Liver Foundation, 88 Winchester Street, Newton, MA 02461 Funeral services will be held on Weds. September 25th at 11:00 AM at the First Baptist Church of Malden, 493 Main St., Malden with the Rev. Martha A. Dominy Pastor of the First Baptist Church officiating. Burial will follow in the Forest Dale Cemetery in Malden.
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