[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 196 (Tuesday, December 31, 2024)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1336]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                HONORING THE LIFE OF MARVIN REASER, Jr.

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. H. MORGAN GRIFFITH

                              of virginia

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, December 31, 2024

  Mr. GRIFFITH. Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor Mr. Marvin Dennis Reaser, 
Jr., who passed away on August 20 at the age of 84. Mr. Reaser was a 
talented musician and beloved band director whose career spanned over 
30 years in Salem, Virginia, most notably leaving a lasting impact on 
Salem High School.
  Mr. Reaser was born on July 28, 1940, in Nitro, West Virginia. His 
parents, Artie Lda Shomo and Marvin Dennis Reaser, Sr., raised him in 
St. Albans, West Virginia, with a very modest family lifestyle.
  Music remained a necessity for the Reaser household, with piano 
lessons being a requirement for Mr. Reaser, his sister, Sally, and his 
brother, David. During his tenure at St. Albans Jr. High, Mr. Reaser 
played in the High School Band, which was directed by Alan Farley. Mr. 
Farley saw something remarkable about Mr. Reaser's musical ability and 
would not soon forget his four-year impact on the school.
  Mr. Reaser then enlisted in the United States Navy after attending 
one year of college. He served for four years in the Navy, from Africa 
to Saudi Arabia, playing his trumpet for the Navy Band. Upon Mr. 
Reaser's return from his service overseas, he landed two teaching jobs 
as band director for two different high schools, notably without a 
college degree--a testament to his skill and talent.
  By 1968, Mr. Reaser earned his undergraduate degree from Morris 
Harvey College (now University of Charleston) in Charleston, West 
Virginia. This same year, his former high school band director, Mr. 
Farley, who had been working at Andrew Lewis High School in Salem, VA, 
reached out to Mr. Reaser asking for him to apply to the Band Director 
job there. After landing the job one year later, Mr. Reaser joined a 
team that would shape his career for the next 30 years. With Mr. 
Reaser's directing style closely mirroring what he had learned from the 
United States Navy, the award-winning Andrew Lewis High Band was widely 
known for their student-led governance with emphasis on excellence and 
hard work.
  When Andrew Lewis HS closed and its students were merged into Salem 
High School (Salem, VA), he became the band leader there.
  Mr. Reaser, throughout his tenure as a band director, participated in 
a number of complementary pursuits, such as playing trumpet for gigs in 
the surrounding areas of Southwest Virginia, authoring a book, and even 
earning his master's degree in music composition from Radford 
University.
  In 2001, Mr. Reaser earned a key to the city from the Salem City 
Council, marking his retirement from Salem City Schools on a day that 
was dubbed ``Dennis Reaser Day'' by the City of Salem. However, he knew 
he had more to teach and went on to work as a band director for the 
Hargrave Military Academy for three years and then assistant principal 
for First Flight High School for over 10 years.
  Mr. Reaser retired for good in 2015 and spent the remainder of his 
life composing and arranging music, playing in community bands and 
surrounding himself with his family and friends. Mr. Reaser 
unfortunately was diagnosed with Parkinson's Disease in his final seven 
years, but always stayed ahead of his disease, averaging five to ten 
thousand steps per day instead of allowing the symptoms to overcome 
him.
  While I was never a member of the Andrew Lewis High School marching 
band as a student there, I was proud to know Mr. Reaser and admired his 
work both with the marching band and all the other programs, 
particularly the annual Opus.
  Mr. Marvin Dennis Reaser, Jr. was a true example of someone who 
delivers excellence to communities with his passion for music. He will 
be remembered for his outstanding work as a teacher, a veteran, and 
family man.

                          ____________________