[Dixielandjazz] RIP Gerry Vondy

[Dick Baker]

Geraldine "Gerry" Vondy, a ragtime pianist in Denver, died April 10.

Gerry played on the Goldenrod Showboat at the St. Louis Ragtime 
Festival for many years with a group of ragtime and boogie woogie 
players calling themselves The Consortium:  Ben Conroy, Charlie 
Bootie, Charlie Castner, Dick Mushlitz, and Gerry.  She was a friend 
of ragtimers everywhere and a regular attender of ragtime and jazz 
piano festivals and house parties.

A photo of Gerry taken at the 2007 Blind Boone Ragtime Festival can be seen at

         http://www.stoptimephoto.com/Other/2007-Blind-Boone-Ragtime/3053633_zMaXr/28/166410778_oSxyr#166410778_oSxyr

In the six days between her stroke and death, she was comforted by 
her daughters, Joan and Barbara (a son, Derf, lives in Virginia), who 
brought ragtime recordings to her hospital room in hopes of cheering 
and comforting her.  Barbara reports that at one point they realized 
that they hadn't played any Eubie Blake for her (she had been a close 
friend of Eubie and Marion).  The found a Eubie tape at her house and 
brought it to the hospital.  At the end of "Love Will Find a Way," 
Gerry sighed audibly -- and died.



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      Dick Baker
  djml at dickbaker.org