John Albert Leader

J. Albert Leader, Jr., teacher, musician, author, composer, conductor, realtor

J. Albert "Al" Leader, Jr., 80, died July 9, 2010 in ManorCare Health Services, Sinking Spring. A graduate of Mt. Penn High School in 1947, he also attended the former West Chester Teacher's College (now West Chester University), graduating in 1951 with a B.S. in Music Supervision. He also did graduate work at Temple University and Lebanon Valley College.

His music teaching career started in 1951 in the Womelsdorf School District (now Conrad Weiser). He left the Conrad Weiser District in 1957 to become Music Manager at the former Sharman's Music Store in Sinking Spring. He then left Sharman's to become Music Manager at the fomer Chiarelli Brothers of Reading. In 1959 he was hired by the Muhlenberg School District. He taught there until 1971, when he and his family moved to Naples, Florida. While in Naples he taught in the Naples Night School program and started an instrumental music program in the Parochial Schools. In 1972 he returned to the Muhlenberg School District and taught there until retiring in 1987.

Al was a private woodwind instructor for 40 years. He played clarinet and saxophone in many bands and dance bands including the Ringghold, Cadet, Centerport, Municipal, Philharmonic, Winona and Rajah Temple Concert Band, where he was conductor from 1996 to 2000. He also performed with The Reading Pops, Civic Opera and the Berks County Senior Citizens Orchestra where he has been Associate Conductor from 2000 until present.

In 1964, he wrote the book, "The Audio-Visual Approach to Teaching Music in the Jr. High School". This book was adopted by many colleges and universities. He also lectured at the Music Educators State and National Conventions on his teaching methods in 1964 and 1965. He was also reporter for the Rajah News from 1996 until 2000.

Al arranged and composed many compositions for various school and professional groups. His band compositions were published by the Hal Leonard Music Company in the fifties. Among them were "The Lost Chord", "Fantasy for Flute", and "March of the Meteorites". "The Maestro" was an originial march he wrote for The Berks County Senior Citizens Orchestra. He dedicated it to the originator of the orchestra, his teacher and mentor, J. Carl Borelli.

In 2005 Leader was awarded the Pagoda Award for Excellence in the Arts. He was also inducted into the Muhlenberg Hall of Fame. In 2006 the Muhlenberg Music Association designated a yearly scholarship award for the top senior instrumentalist known as the J. Albert Leader Award.

Leader was a member of the Lodge 62 F.& A.M., The Rajah Shrine and the Scottish Rite, 32nd Degree. Former president of the Music Educators of Berks County, he was also a member of the Muhlenberg Arts Council. He was director of the Muhlenberg Community Chorus and a life member of the American Federation of Musicians.

A Realtor for twenty-two years, he was a member of the Board of Realtors last working for Stout-Associates of Temple.

Born in Reading he was the son of the late J. Albert and Dorothy E. (Stoudt) Leader, Sr. He is survived by a son, Dr. David A., husband of Suzanne (Wagner) Leader, Bern Twp.; two grandsons, Eric Alan and Jacob Alan Leader. He was predeceased by his wife, Louise Ann (Whitehead) Leader, who died in 1993 and a daughter, Sherri Fay (Leader) Kuehne who died in 2003.

He was a member of Trinity U.C.C. Church, Mt. Penn.

Services will be Thursday at 10 a.m. in Walter R. Christ Funeral Home, Inc., 3300 Kutztown Road, Laureldale. A viewing will be held one hour prior to services in the funeral home. Burial will be in Berks County Memorial Gardens, Maidnecreek Township.

Contributions may be made to: The Muhlenberg Music Association for the J. Albert Leader Award, P.O. Box 249, Temple, PA 19560. For online condolences, visit www.christfuneralhome.com.