NEWTON —
A memorial service for Carolyn "Miss D" Domineck is being planned by the Friends of Miss D.
"We're trying to find the best way we can to honor her," said Todd Short, who is helping to plan the event. "We'll have some speakers and some music, some of the most popular songs that were played and recognized by her. We've gone through thousands of pictures of her in the last few days. We're going to put those up for people to look at."
Domineck, who taught band in Jasper County schools for decades, died Dec. 11. She was 70.
The memorial service will be held at 1:45 p.m. Dec. 29 at the Newton Community High School Gymnasium. Short said a group of former band members will play during the memorial, honoring the service of Miss D.
"We're getting together a brass group of former students to play those songs," he said. "They were in the band from everywhere between the late 70s and one young man who was in the early 90s. It's just important where even as the band grew and changed and evolved, Miss D did it from day one to the last day she retired."
Short said former band members and community members who were touched by Miss D were excited to be a part of the event.
"In this day and age, it was fairly easy to get a hold of people and everybody was willing," he said. "There was a few people who couldn't come because of commitments but everyone who could was more than willing to play and honor her."
While Miss D was best known to many of her students as a band leader, others remained friends with her even after graduation and hope to remember her both as a teacher and friend.
"Basically, everybody knows her but I really came to know her my freshman year," said Tom Matson, of Friends of Miss D, who also officiated Domineck's funeral. "She's a trombone player and I'm a trombone player, so we were close. Once I got out of school, it was like the friendship grew stronger. She was my mentor in school and then she was my friend after school. She was an awesome lady. I don't know how to explain it."
Matson said he hopes the memorial service will be a time to celebrate the influence Domineck had on so many lives and give former students a chance to remember their band days.
"I hope they rekindle the memories and not just the memories but the pride," he said. "When we look back at those days, we sum it up as we were part of a legacy and not many people can say that. I want everyone to grow close again. Our band was a family. There wasn't anybody that wouldn't do anything for the rest of the group. We had so much to be proud of. I know I wouldn't have finished high school if it wasn't for Miss D. She gave me a reason to keep going."
Short said those who wished to donate or bring gifts should donate to the Miss D Scholarship Fund.
Jackson Adams can be reached at 217-347-7151, ext. 131, or jackson.adams@effinghamdailynews.com.
Local News
December 19, 2012
Friends plan service for 'Miss D'
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