Obituary for Miriam Silcox – SIMSBURY AND GRANBY AND AVON, CT

Miriam Silcox died Sunday (April 29, 2001) at the McLean Home in Simsbury. Music, along with children, was the center of Miriam Silcox's life. For Miss Silcox, a resident of Simsbury for over 50 years and a retired classroom teacher and music specialist at numerous schools in the Hartford area, the two things went hand in hand. Her passion for music and children and the joy her art brought to her and others led her to become a long-time donor to Newington's Children's Hospital. Miss Silcox's friends and colleagues described her as independent and rebellious. At 17, she directed the Junior Choir and Orchestra of the United South Methodist Church in Manchester. For several years she sang in that church's Senior Choir. At the time of her death, she had been a member of that church for over 75 years. Her string trio, for which she played cello and/or piano, was a star on the air in the early days of WTIC. During her musical career she was at one time church organist in Rocky Hill, later organist in Granby. She also sang in the choir of the Asylum Hill Congregational Church. Her early training in school music began at the Hartford School of Music, and also at Music Pedagogy in Northampton, MA, with Ralph Baldwin. Over the years she earned the following degrees: BS in Education, Central Connecticut Teachers College, BM and MM, Hartt School of Music, University of Hartford. Her senior thesis, “The Expansion of Musical Horizons at the Junior High Level,” is available in the Hartt School of Music library. She developed summer programs in basic economics with demonstration courses at Uconn; she participated in similar programs at the University of Wisconsin. For several summers Miss Silcox was a nature specialist at Camp Sholom, a program sponsored by the Hartford Jewish Community Center. She also participated in arts and crafts programs for HARC. Miss Silcox has made generous donations to numerous educational and musical institutions in the form of scholarships and/or outright gifts. For many years, Macmillan Publishing Company published two of her publications, Bulletin Boards for 5th and 6th graders. She received two major teaching awards from the Joint Economic Council for middle school projects; she has been honored by the Freedom's Foundation, Valley Forge. Several trips to Europe, 17 countries, with a summer study at the University of Lausanne, and to Africa, Kenya and Mexico, broadened her horizons in art and music. Miss Silcox directed the instruction in all subjects and the music education of thousands of children. She was the sole survivor of her family. She leaves behind many friends who benefited from her loyalty and spirit of sharing. She ensured that her desire to help sick and injured children would be carried on for many years to come. Funeral and burial will be held on Wednesday, May 2, at 9 a.m. in Simsbury Cemetery, with the Reverend Dr. M. Lawrence Snow officiating. There will be no visiting hours. The Vincent Funeral Home, 880 Hopmeadow Street, Simsbury, is in charge of arrangements.