Athens, Ga. – A memorial service has been scheduled for W. Fred Mills, the renowned trumpet virtuoso and professor in the University of Georgia’s Hugh Hodgson School of Music, who died on Sept. 7. He was 74 years old.
The service is scheduled for Sunday, Sept. 20, at 3 p.m. in Hodgson Concert Hall at the UGA Performing Arts Center. The memorial service will be shown live on UGA Cablevision channel 15 and streamed on the UGA home page at www.uga.edu.
According to Dale Monson, director of the Hodgson School of Music, the service will be a celebration of the life of Fred Mills.
“Fred had many friends in the community who appreciated his music and his sense of humor,” said Monson. “The service will be reflective of Fred’s spirit through the words of guest speakers and musical tributes, including performances by his students and professional colleagues.”
The W. Fred Mills Memorial Award Fund has been established to honor Mills’ memory. Contributions to the fund may be made by visiting the school’s Web site at www.music.uga.edu or by mail attention Suzi Wong, Hugh Hodgson School of Music, 250 River Road, Athens, Georgia 30602.
“Fred’s reputation was of international stature,” Monson said.”Many talented students came to the school to hone their skills with a master. We immediately received many, many calls and e-mails from current and former students and colleagues wishing to commemorate Fred’s life.The school has established a fund that will be a fitting tribute.”