Loss of Brother Sinfonian
 

(as published in The Daily Record; Wooster, Ohio)

SMITHVILLE - David T. Plank, 85, formerly of Smithville, died Sunday,
Jan. 1, 2006, at Sunrise Assisted Living in Wooster.

Funeral services will be Thursday, Jan. 5, at 11 a.m. at the Gresser
Funeral Home, 415 N. Elm St., Orrville. The Rev. Ray Aspinall will be
officiating. Burial will be at the Smithville Cemetery in Smithville.

Visitation will be held on Wednesday from 2-4 and 6-8 p.m. at the
funeral home.

In lieu of flowers donations may be made to Hospice & Palliative Care
of
Greater Wayne County, 2525 Back Orrville Road, Wooster 44691.

He was born March 29, 1920, in Cleveland, the son of Clarence and
Eulalia (Foss) Plank. He married Martha D. Hartzler on Dec. 26, 1943.
She died in 1990.

David grew up in Bath, Ohio and graduated from Bath High School in
1938.
He received a bachelor of arts from Baldwin Wallace College in 1942 and
a master's of music education from Oberlin Conservatory in 1949. He
shared his musical talent throughout his life and was a published
composer. David and his wife, Martha, were educators in the Medina and
Rittman school systems. For three years they lived in Iowa while David
taught music at Buena Vista College. In 1953, David and Martha built
the
Howard Johnson's Restaurant east of Wooster. The restaurant was awarded
Howard Johnson's Franchise of the Year in 1982. After 36 years in
business, they retired in 1990.

David was a member of the Smithville Brethren Church, the Smithville
Ruritan Club, The Clinton Community Band, and Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia
Fraternity.

He is survived by his daughter, Stephanie Plank Livengood and her
husband, Mark Livengood of Smithville, and a sister, Arlene Baxter of
Cuyahoga Falls.

In addition to his wife, he was preceded in death by a brother, Harry
Plank.

:(
So sorry for your loss...
Silver

Re: Loss of Brother Sinfonian
 

So sorry to see this.

ETA: For the non-Sinfonians on GC (which I guess is pretty much everybody but Boodleboy and me), the loss of Brother Plank will be sorely felt throughout the Fraternity. Among many other things, he wrote three popular songs in our current Songbook. Per our Executive Director Ryan Ripperton: "David has always been the most unconditionally enthusiastic Sinfonian I've ever met. Never one to be involved in politics or policy, David showed up under the Sinfonia banner over and over again, there simply to share his love of Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia."

And per the Fraternity news release: "On Friday, December 30, approximately forty Collegiate Province Representatives, gathered at Lyrecrest [our national HQ] for the annual CPR Convocation, sang 'Sing of Sinfonia' [which he wrote] to Brother Plank by telephone after hearing that his health was deteriorating.

"Chapters, colonies, and alumni associations are asked to sing at least one of Plank's songs at their next meeting to remember this honorable Sinfonian. Sinfonians everywhere are encouraged to consider a memorial contribution to the charity mentioned in the obituary below."

please accept my condolences.

Very sorry to hear of the loss of any Sinfonia, especially one so revered.

My deepest sympathies on the loss of your brother.

I am so sorry to hear this.

It will be a very big hole for the People He knew and The People that He would meet.:(