Paul Mayo

A memorial service is planned for 2 p.m. Sunday, June 12, at La Cañada Presbyter-ian Church for longtime music director Paul Mayo, who, after an extended illness, died of amyloidosis on June 5.

Paul Edward Mayo was born in Los Angeles on May 22, 1933, and lived most of his life in Glendale, attending R.D. White Elementary School, Roosevelt Junior High School, Glendale High School, and Glendale College before attending the University of Southern California, where he earned a degree in church music and was president of the the USC Chamber Singers under the direction of Dr. Charles Hirt.

Mr. Mayo’s wife of 40 years, Linda Reynolds Mayo, taught English at Mark Keppel High School in Alhambra until her retirement in 1999. The couple first met in 1959 when Mr. Mayo was a new teacher at El Monte High School and Linda was a senior in his a cappella choir. The couple’s son, Colin Paul Mayo, is a motion picture lighting technician; his wife, Ashley, is a motion picture make-up artist.

Mr. Mayo taught in the music department at Glendale Community College from 1965 until 1999. Under his direction, the Glendale College Chamber Chorale sang for many clubs and organizations in Southern California, including Christmas programs at the Caltech Athanaeum and the Jonathan Club in Los Angeles. His book and vocal exercise tape “The Road to Better Singing” has been sold and used internationally.

During his tenure at Glendale College, Mr. Mayo also pursued an active musical career. He was a tenor soloist with the Roger Wagner Chorale and the William Hall Chorale and appeared in the Salt Lake City Tabernacle as soloist in The Messiah. He spent many years doing studio work with such artists as The Ray Coniff Singers, The Supremes, and Dean Martin, to name but a few. He also recorded music backgrounds for such films as On a Clear Day, The Hallelujah Trail, and How the West Was Won.

Mr. Mayo’s involvement in church music began in high school when he was hired as a tenor soloist at Rossmoyne Christian Church. He later served as tenor soloist at Immanuel Presbyterian Church in Los Angeles, Pasadena Presbyterian Church, Glendale Presbyterian Church, and in 1980 became tenor soloist at La Cañada Presbyterian Church. In 1988 Mr. Mayo turned to conducting instead of singing and served as director of music and worship at La Cañada Presbyterian Church until 2004. In addition to participating in Sunday worship services, under his direction the choir presented many classical musical works including Mendelssohn’s Elijah and Bach’s St. John Passion as well as the yearly pops concerts in the courtyard of La Cañada Presbyterian Church each June, which drew many members of the community.

Mr. Mayo’s greatest loves were his large extended family, his position of leading worship through music, and his friends and colleagues at LCPC, especially the members of his choir.

In lieu of flowers, Mr. Mayo requested that donations be made to one of the following: LCPC Faith Missions, 626 Foothill Blvd., La Cañada, CA 91011; or Amyloidosis Research Foundation, 4174 Myers Ave., Waterford, MI 48329.