SHREVEPORT, LA -- Funeral services are scheduled for 2 p.m. Wednesday, May 19 in Acton, Texas for Centenary College Professor Leta N. Carson. Dr. Carson, 62, died Monday, May 17 in a Fort Worth, Texas hospital after a short illness.
The service will be held in the Good Shepherd Episcopal Church in Acton. Burial will be in the Granbury, Texas Cemetery. Arrangements are under the direction of the Wiley Funeral Home in Granbury.
A member of the Centenary faculty since 1992, Dr. Carson was the holder of the Ed and Gladys Hurley Endowed Chair in Music and was dean of the Hurley School of Music from 1992-98. An accomplished flutist, she taught music theory, music appreciation and flute at Centenary and performed at many local organizations and churches. Her most recent concert at Centenary was on March 21 when she performed collaborative pieces from Prokofiev and Rachmaninov along with pianists Mark Zeltser and Gay Grosz.
Born April 4, 1937 in Gorman, Texas, she earned the B.M.E. and B.M. degrees summa cum laude from Texas Christian University (1959), the M.M. from TCU (1960) and the Ph.D. from Michigan State University (1965). She was also a student of flute with Joseph Mariano at the Eastman School of Music at the University of Rochester. While still a student at TCU, she played flute in the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra, the Fort Worth Ballet and the Fort Worth Opera Orchestra. Dr. Carson previously taught music in higher education at Fairmont State College, the State University of New York - Oswego, Northeast Louisiana State University, and Cottey College.
Dr. Carson is survived by her husband, John P. Carson; son, Phillip T. Carson of Boston, Mass., and a sister Mary Strain of Granbury. She was preceded in death by her parents, Herman D. and Minnie O. Thomason of Granbury.
The family has requested that any memorials be made to the Friends of Music at Centenary College, 2911 Centenary Blvd., Shreveport, LA 71104.
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