Thora du Bois

1-16-2020

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Thora Asgeirson du Bois, 92, was born on September 4, 1927, in Winnipeg, Manitoba, and passed away in Stillwater, OK, on January 16, 2020.  She was raised in the Icelandic community in Winnipeg.  Her lifelong interest in the study of piano and music begain at age 6.  She received her Associate and Licenciate Diplomas in Music at the University of Manitoba's School of Music and a Licentiate from the British Royal Schools of Music.  In Paris in 1952 while studying music, Thora met and married her husband Ron du Bois.  In 1960, the du Bois family moved to Stillwater where Ron taught in the Art Department at Oklahoma State University and Thora taught private music lessons.  The du Bois family grew to include four sons, Paul, Marc, Jon, and Peter.  Thora completed a bachelor's degree, a master's degree, and the doctorate at OSU.  She continued to teach private music lessons as she joined the OSU music faculty.  Thora was an active member of several social, church, and civic groups.  She initiated a local chapter of the Oklahoma Music Teachers Association in 1983 and co-founded the Stillwater Area Music Teachers Association.  Thora retired from OSU in 1996 and continued to teach private music lessons, play for the Unitarian-Universalist Church of Stillwater, and played regularly at retirement centers in Stillwater.  Thora accompanied her husband on three year-long sabbatical trips to South Korea, India, and Nigeria where she performed, taught, and contributed to university music programs.  Thora is survived by her husband, son Marc, adopted daughter Mita Young Butschek (Christopher), as well as a grand daughter and nieces.