Former choral director dies

Janine Marnien

A man regarded by many as the cornerstone of the La Canada High

School choral program has died of cancer at 63.

Family, faculty and former students remembered John Kelsey on

Wednesday as an inspiration. Kelsey died Saturday, after battling

lung cancer for almost a year.

Daughter Julie Kelsey spoke on behalf of the family, saying her

father would be greatly missed.

“He was a wonderful friend as well as a parent,” she said.

John Kelsey, a Glendale native, was choral director at La Canada

High for 34 years, and retired at the end of the 1998-99 school year.

The program won many awards under his direction, Principal Mike

Leininger said.

“He set the bar for that program,” Leininger said. “Now all of our

students currently in the program are trying to be better than the

year before.”

Lisa Phelan was a member of the Madrigals in 1983. The Madrigals

were an elite group of singers within Kelsey’s choral program. She

described her former teacher as someone with an infectious love for

music.

“He was good at getting the guys to try out,” she said. “He was a

strong male presence in the music area in education, which I think is

rare.”

Sarah Horner was a part of the choral program from 1981 to 1983.

She likened Kelsey to the character portrayed by Richard Dreyfuss in

“Mr. Holland’s Opus.”

“You always knew he cared about you, and made you feel important

and special,” she said. “He was really motivating and inspiring and

had an influence on so many people.”

Kelsey is survived by his wife, Cheryl; daughters, Julie Kelsey

and Janis Northrop; son-in-law, Bill Northrop; and granddaughters

Allison and Elizabeth Northrop.

Funeral services have been scheduled for 2 p.m. April 12 at La

Canada Presbyterian Church, 626 Foothill Blvd. Donations to the La

Canada High School choral program are being accepted in lieu of

flowers. Checks should be made out to the program and sent to La

Canada High School choral program, c/o Aileen Peterson, La Canada

High School, 4463 Oak Grove Drive, La Canada Flintridge, CA 91011.