congressional_record: CREC-2024-12-31-pt1-PgE1336
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| CREC-2024-12-31-pt1-PgE1336 | 2024-12-31 | 118 | 2 | HONORING THE LIFE OF MARVIN REASER, Jr. | HOUSE | EXTENSIONS | HONORING | E1336 | E1336 | [{"name": "H. Morgan Griffith", "role": "speaking"}] | 170 Cong. Rec. E1336 | Congressional Record, Volume 170 Issue 196 (Tuesday, December 31, 2024) [Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 196 (Tuesday, December 31, 2024)] [Extensions of Remarks] [Page E1336] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov] HONORING THE LIFE OF MARVIN REASER, Jr. ______ HON. H. MORGAN GRIFFITH of virginia in the house of representatives Tuesday, December 31, 2024 Mr. GRIFFITH. Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor Mr. Marvin Dennis Reaser, Jr., who passed away on August 20 at the age of 84. Mr. Reaser was a talented musician and beloved band director whose career spanned over 30 years in Salem, Virginia, most notably leaving a lasting impact on Salem High School. Mr. Reaser was born on July 28, 1940, in Nitro, West Virginia. His parents, Artie Lda Shomo and Marvin Dennis Reaser, Sr., raised him in St. Albans, West Virginia, with a very modest family lifestyle. Music remained a necessity for the Reaser household, with piano lessons being a requirement for Mr. Reaser, his sister, Sally, and his brother, David. During his tenure at St. Albans Jr. High, Mr. Reaser played in the High School Band, which was directed by Alan Farley. Mr. Farley saw something remarkable about Mr. Reaser's musical ability and would not soon forget his four-year impact on the school. Mr. Reaser then enlisted in the United States Navy after attending one year of college. He served for four years in the Navy, from Africa to Saudi Arabia, playing his trumpet for the Navy Band. Upon Mr. Reaser's return from his service overseas, he landed two teaching jobs as band director for two different high schools, notably without a college degree--a testament to his skill and talent. By 1968, Mr. Reaser earned his undergraduate degree from Morris Harvey College (now University of Charleston) in Charleston, West Virginia. This same year, his former high school band director, Mr. Farley, who had been working at Andrew Lewis High School in Salem, VA, reached out to Mr. Reaser asking for him to apply to the Band Director job there. After landing the job one year later, Mr. Reaser joined a team that would shape his career for the next 30 years. With Mr. Reaser's directing style closely mirroring what he had learned from the United States Navy, the award-winning Andrew Lewis High Band was widely known for their student-led governance with emphasis on excellence and hard work. When Andrew Lewis HS closed and its students were merged into Salem High School (Salem, VA), he became the band leader there. Mr. Reaser, throughout his tenure as a band director, participated in a number of complementary pursuits, such as playing trumpet for gigs in the surrounding areas of Southwest Virginia, authoring a book, and even earning his master's degree in music composition from Radford University. In 2001, Mr. Reaser earned a key to the city from the Salem City Council, marking his retirement from Salem City Schools on a day that was dubbed ``Dennis Reaser Day'' by the City of Salem. However, he knew he had more to teach and went on to work as a band director for the Hargrave Military Academy for three years and then assistant principal for First Flight High School for over 10 years. Mr. Reaser retired for good in 2015 and spent the remainder of his life composing and arranging music, playing in community bands and surrounding himself with his family and friends. Mr. Reaser unfortunately was diagnosed with Parkinson's Disease in his final seven years, but always stayed ahead of his disease, averaging five to ten thousand steps per day instead of allowing the symptoms to overcome him. While I was never a member of the Andrew Lewis High School marching band as a student there, I was proud to know Mr. Reaser and admired his work both with the marching band and all the other programs, particularly the annual Opus. Mr. Marvin Dennis Reaser, Jr. was a true example of someone who delivers excellence to communities with his passion for music. He will be remembered for his outstanding work as a teacher, a veteran, and family man. ____________________ |