Nancy Becknell

LIFE HISTORY
OF
NANCY ELLEN ULINE BECKNELL

Nancy Becknell was born on August 19, 1929, in Elkhart, Indiana, the daughter of Bernard and Marguerite (Mitchell) Uline. She resided in Nappanee, Indiana, in her early years, graduating from Nappanee High School in 1947. She began studying piano at four years of age and continued to play piano throughout her life. During her high school years she began playing French horn in the Nappanee High School band, and later in the South Bend Junior Symphony. She also spent a summer playing horn at the National Music Camp at Interlochen, Michigan. Other summers were spent with aunts, uncles and cousins at Clear Lake, Indiana, where there was a Mitchell family cottage.

Nancy attended Oberlin College Conservatory of Music in Ohio, receiving a Bachelor of Music Education degree in 1951. She studied both horn and piano there, and spent one summer playing horn in the student orchestra at Tanglewood Music Festival in Massachusetts. She had the memorable experience there of playing under both Leonard Bernstein and Serge Koussevitzky, conductors.

Following graduation from Oberlin, she taught public school music in the Lorain County, Ohio, Schools for one year, then moved to Midland, Michigan, where she taught vocal music in Northeast Intermediate High School for four years. During that time she played principal horn in the Midland (Dow) Symphony and in the Saginaw Symphony Orchestras, and taught private horn students.

In August of 1956 she married Oberlin classmate Arthur F. Becknell, a native of Plymouth, Indiana, and they moved to Madison, Wisconsin, where Art was beginning a faculty position at the University of Wisconsin. Nancy became principal horn in the Madison Civic Symphony Orchestra and played both principal and second horn positions for 37 years. She performed concertos with the orchestra twice, was elected the orchestra president twice, and served on the Madison Symphony Board for a number of years. She also taught private horn lessons in Madison for more than 40 years.

From 1973 to 1993 she taught horn at the University of Wisconsin School of Music, playing in both the Wisconsin Brass Quintet and the Wingra Woodwind Quintet during that time. She played many performances with them throughout the state of Wisconsin; at Carnegie Hall, New York; in Chicago, in Fairbanks, Alaska; and in several of the mid-western states.

Nancy was a member of Sigma Alpha Iota Alumnae Chapter, serving as president from 1962 to 1964 and as treasurer from 1998 to 2012. She was a performing member of Schubert Club and president of the group in 1968. She played piano for Bible Study Fellowship for eight years and was a member and leader in the group. Nancy was a member of Madison West Rotary Club from 1993 until 2016, and was on the Rotary Board for several years. She served on the Madison Area Concert Handbell Board for a number of years.

Both Art and Nancy were members of Bethany United Methodist Church for many years and were very active in developing the music program there. Art was choir director for almost 35 years and Nancy was choir accompanist even longer. Both helped lead a memorable Bethany Choir tour in Europe in 1981. Nancy was also a member of the Bethany Handbell Choir for many years.

Art and Nancy had two sons: Alan in 1958 and Steven in 1960, and together they enjoyed downhill skiing, both locally and in Upper Michigan. They also traveled to Switzerland and camped in Wisconsin and other places in the U.S. The family sang and played together and enjoyed many musical activities.

In 2006 Nancy moved from the family home on Barton Road to Oakwood Village Retirement Home. She played piano for the Oakmen, a gospel singing group, and was a member of the Oakwood Chamber Players Board.

Nancy is survived by sons Alan (Karen) of Ellicott City, MD and Steven of Northridge, CA; four grandchildren, Nigel and Francis Becknell, Sarah and Marie Becknell; a brother, Richard (Kay) in Florida, and many cousins. She was preceded in death by her parents and her husband.

Memorials could be made to Madison Symphony Orchestra, to Oakwood Village Foundation, or to Bethany United Methodist Church.

A memorial service will be held at 2:00 PM on Sat. Dec. 3, 2016 at Bethany United Methodist Church, 3910 Mineral Point Rd. Madison.