Dr. Laib
For those few of you who know who Dr. Laib is....he died. Erica told me that it was a heart attack at boy scout camp.
He was my high school band director freshman year...he was a brilliant man...but he quit to work at a less stressful and time-consuming job after that freshman year.
So sad.... :'(
If I had known about it and known when the funeral was I would've definitely gone.
Dr. J. Russell Laib
Caldwell & Cowan Funeral Home
Former
Newton High School band director, Dr. J. Russell Laib of Conyers, died
June 10 at the age of 52. A former band director at Griffin High
School, he was with NHS from 1994 to 1999 and was currently employed at
Lee Street Elementary School in Jonesboro. He had served as director of
bands at West Georgia College, now known as State University of West
Georgia, as associate director of bands at the University of Missouri
and Louisiana State University, spending four years at each college,
and as assistant director of bands at the University of Georgia. At one
time he was known as one of the three top marching band drill designers.
A National Board Certified Teacher in Early/Middle Childhood Music, Dr.
Laib received his bachelor’s degree in music education from Syracuse
University, his master’s degree from Cincinnati Conservatory and his
Doctorate of Musical Arts from the University of Georgia. He was a
member of Kappa Kappa Psi Band Fraternity, MENC and Phi Beta Mu Band
Masters Fraternity and played French horn in Tara Winds Community Band
in Clayton County.
Very active with the Boy Scouts, Dr. Laib was assistant scoutmaster of
Troop 222 and was chartered organizational representative and former
cubmaster of Pack 4511, from which he had received the Godsend Award.
An Eagle Scout, he was a member of the Order of the Arrow and received
the District Award of Merit for the Yellow River District of BSA, Wood
Badge Award, Scouter’s Training Award and the Scouter’s Key. He also
served as Yellow River District training chair and Scouting for Food
chair.
A loving husband and father, Dr. Laib was an elder of Presbyterian
Church USA and was formerly on the Session of First Presbyterian Church
of Covington where he was an active member of the choir and Sunday
School.
Surviving are wife Karen C. Laib; daughter Sybil Rose Laib of
Covington; son D. Michael Laib of Conyers; father James R. Laib Sr. of
Covington; sister and brother-in-law Donna and Donald Gravitt of Ball
Ground; niece Sherry Stewart of Tate; nephew Richard Stewart of Ellwood
City, Pa.
Services were held at 4 p.m. June 14 at First Presbyterian Church with
the Rev. William B. Wade Jr. and the Rev. Nelson deBrosse officiating.
Interment followed at Lawnwood Memorial Park. In lieu of flowers, the
family has requested donations to First Presbyterian Church, 1169 Clark
St. SW., Covington, 30014, Tara Winds Scholarship Fund, P.O. Box 71473,
Marietta, 30007, or Friends of Scouting, c/o Atlanta Area Council BSA,
1800 Circle 75 Parkway SE, Atlanta, 30339.
The Covington News June 15, 2005
The Covington (Ga.)News
Jun. 22, 2005
He was my high school band director freshman year...he was a brilliant man...but he quit to work at a less stressful and time-consuming job after that freshman year.
So sad.... :'(
If I had known about it and known when the funeral was I would've definitely gone.
Dr. J. Russell Laib
Caldwell & Cowan Funeral Home
Former
Newton High School band director, Dr. J. Russell Laib of Conyers, died
June 10 at the age of 52. A former band director at Griffin High
School, he was with NHS from 1994 to 1999 and was currently employed at
Lee Street Elementary School in Jonesboro. He had served as director of
bands at West Georgia College, now known as State University of West
Georgia, as associate director of bands at the University of Missouri
and Louisiana State University, spending four years at each college,
and as assistant director of bands at the University of Georgia. At one
time he was known as one of the three top marching band drill designers.
A National Board Certified Teacher in Early/Middle Childhood Music, Dr.
Laib received his bachelor’s degree in music education from Syracuse
University, his master’s degree from Cincinnati Conservatory and his
Doctorate of Musical Arts from the University of Georgia. He was a
member of Kappa Kappa Psi Band Fraternity, MENC and Phi Beta Mu Band
Masters Fraternity and played French horn in Tara Winds Community Band
in Clayton County.
Very active with the Boy Scouts, Dr. Laib was assistant scoutmaster of
Troop 222 and was chartered organizational representative and former
cubmaster of Pack 4511, from which he had received the Godsend Award.
An Eagle Scout, he was a member of the Order of the Arrow and received
the District Award of Merit for the Yellow River District of BSA, Wood
Badge Award, Scouter’s Training Award and the Scouter’s Key. He also
served as Yellow River District training chair and Scouting for Food
chair.
A loving husband and father, Dr. Laib was an elder of Presbyterian
Church USA and was formerly on the Session of First Presbyterian Church
of Covington where he was an active member of the choir and Sunday
School.
Surviving are wife Karen C. Laib; daughter Sybil Rose Laib of
Covington; son D. Michael Laib of Conyers; father James R. Laib Sr. of
Covington; sister and brother-in-law Donna and Donald Gravitt of Ball
Ground; niece Sherry Stewart of Tate; nephew Richard Stewart of Ellwood
City, Pa.
Services were held at 4 p.m. June 14 at First Presbyterian Church with
the Rev. William B. Wade Jr. and the Rev. Nelson deBrosse officiating.
Interment followed at Lawnwood Memorial Park. In lieu of flowers, the
family has requested donations to First Presbyterian Church, 1169 Clark
St. SW., Covington, 30014, Tara Winds Scholarship Fund, P.O. Box 71473,
Marietta, 30007, or Friends of Scouting, c/o Atlanta Area Council BSA,
1800 Circle 75 Parkway SE, Atlanta, 30339.
The Covington News June 15, 2005
The Covington (Ga.)News
Jun. 22, 2005