San Francisco Chapter American Guild of Organists Newsletter ¥ February 2004
http://www.sfago.org/SFAGO-02-2004.pdf

Virginia Hebel, Organist, Gave Music to Many

Virginia R.Hebel (1930-2004)

Born: June 24, 1930, in Greencastle, Indiana
Died: January 1, 2004, in Mountain View, California

Survived by: Husband Charles Hebel of Cupertino, California; son Howard Hebel of New Haven, Connecticut; daughter Janet Hebel Porter of Charlotte, North Carolina; son Glenn Hebel of Middletown, Rhode Island; and 7 grandchildren.

Services:A Service of Celebration for her life and work will be held Feb. 7th, at 1:30 p.m., at First United Methodist Church of Palo Alto.

Virginia Hebel, 27-year resident of Cupertino,dedicated area musician,and choral accompanist at Los Altos High School for 20 years, has died at age 73. She died peacefully on New Year’s Day, surrounded by a gathering of family and friends, at El Camino Hospital. Described by many as sweet, nurturing,and uniquely giving, she was also devout and fiercely devoted to family and music. Born in small-town Indiana ,where her father was a professor at De Pauw University, Mrs.Hebel never lost her “Hoosier-ness.”

Majoring in music at De Pauw, she built on childhood musical precociousness, mastering the pipe organ. At De Pauw she also married her college sweetheart, Chuck Hebel, beginning a love story that spanned nearly 51 years and gave warmth and joy to many people.Together they raised three children: Howard, an architect in Connecticut; Janet, a nurse in North Carolina;and Glenn, a doctor in Rhode Island. In recent years the Hebels welcomed seven grandchildren,including a set of triplets.

A life-long church organist, Mrs.Hebel played at many local churches after moving to the Bay Area in 1976 when her husband came to Xerox’s Palo Alto Research Center. Here she graced countless worship services,weddings, and funerals with her music, and supported the local chapter of The American Guild of Organists. In 1983, as her youngest child left home for college, Mrs. Hebel began a long association with the choral programs of Los Altos High School, accompanying rehearsals and performances of thousands of students in whom she delighted.Their cards and messages at the news of Mrs. Hebel’s passing have reached from as far as Japan and the battlefields of Iraq.

“I never realized until now how many kids my mother ‘had’ after raising my siblings and me,” her son Howard observed. A devoted grandmother, Mrs.Hebel regaled students and friends with photos of her grandchildren, whom she visited often in spite of her busy schedule. Her grandchildren’s many musical endeavors have pleased her especially deeply.

Mrs.Hebel fought a long and often difficult battle against lung cancer with courage and optimism, a battle that few who heard her graceful music knew of. During that time she maintained a demanding schedule at Los Altos High School while substituting as organist at numerous churches,serving for two years as organist at First United Methodist Church of Palo Alto. The quality of her artistry never faltered. Mrs.Hebel chose to keep her struggle a secret, wishing not to draw attention away from her music, or away from her students and the musical and life lessons she adored helping them discover for themselves. Mrs.Hebel loved supporting their musical efforts, admiring their courage in striving for excellence. She also lived for the many ways they returned her affections. Her devotion to her students often got her out of bed during the most difficult times.

As Mark Shaull, her partner at Los Altos High School for nearly 20 years ,concluded his e-mail message to the generations of choral students who have worked with Mrs. Hebel, “In her quiet, ever present way, she taught us all, not only music, but, in light of what you now know of the last 10 years, she taught us so very much more:how to be courageous in the face of fear, how to give of ourselves regardless of adversity, how to sustain others through consistent encouragement, and how to show love through loyalty and commitment.”