Marian Stanley Tucker

Anna Marian Stanley Tucker, age 90, died peacefully on August 25, 2018 in Columbia, South Carolina after a brief illness. Born June 12, 1928 in Columbia, Marian was the only child of Leonard Phillips Stanley and Frieda Beatrice Spearman Stanley. In 1947, she was graduated from Converse College with a Bachelor of Music degree and continued her studies with extensive graduate work at that same institution. Blessed with extraordinary musical gifts, Marian enjoyed a long and distinguished career as a concert pianist and teacher. Marian’s technical skill and refined emotional depth rendered her playing a very special gift to the listener. Upon her solo debut at Carnegie Hall in 1948 (having won top prize in a competition sponsored by the Associated Concert Bureau) the New York Herald Tribune stated that Marian was “...quite a pianist in the grand manner...an astonishing technique and tone, and a fine sense of poetry and romance.” Three times a Gold Medal Winner of the National Piano Recording Contest, she was in great demand during her performing career. In 1963, she was the first piano soloist to perform on the premier concert given by the Columbia Festival Orchestra (now the South Carolina Philharmonic Orchestra). Marian performed many solo recitals, was a featured soloist with numerous orchestras, and collaborated with many outstanding singers and instrumentalists. She performed extensively in South Carolina as well as in many other locales from Dallas, Texas, to New York City and was praised by critics. “She electrified her audience...held them spellbound throughout.” (Spartanburg [SC] Journal) She served on the faculty of Columbia College from 1948-1949 and as organist and choir director of Centennial ARP Church in Columbia from 1948-1953. For almost seventy years, Marian also nurtured a living legacy in Columbia: her many piano and voice students of all ages. She had a profoundly positive impact on countless families, nurturing not only her students’ musical talents but their life skills as well. Soprano Ruth Ann McKee shared her heartfelt perspective “Having someone of her stature believe in me changed my life.” Numbering in the thousands, many of her students remained life-long friends. In 2004, Marian was honored by the University of South Carolina with the establishment of a permanent endowment. Spearheaded by parents and students who wished to recognize and express appreciation for her lasting influence upon their lives, the Marian Stanley Tucker Guest Lecture Series was created as part of the Southeastern Piano Festival at the University of South Carolina School of Music. The Series offers workshops with international authorities on piano pedagogy. In 2007, Marian was honored by the Converse College Alumnae Association, which presented her the Converse College Career Achievement Award. This award “is given annually to an alumna whose life has been dedicated to excellence in the profession and who has distinguished herself by notable achievements credited to her over a period of time.” In 2015, when Marian moved to Laurel Crest Retirement Center, she entertained on the Steinway grand piano with daily selections ranging from Bach to Broadway; residents frequently broke into song. Best known for her musical accomplishments, Marian had a keen interest in numerous intellectual subjects and brought a unique perspective of creative intelligence to bear on them. Particularly interested in nutrition, she moved her young family from old Columbia to rural Richland County where they learned the value of hard work by cultivating organic vegetables and raising a diverse collection of domestic animals. Poised and gracious, Marian cared deeply about her family and friends and gave generously of her love and support. She was a shining example of using one’s God given talent and abilities to make a difference in the lives of others - whether it be as caregiver to those who needed her, a positive influence on the lives of her students, or an enthusiastic participant in professional and community groups. The fifth generation of her family to have lived in Columbia, she was especially appreciative of her Stanley family’s participation in Columbia’s development. Her first Stanley ancestor to emigrate from England to America was Captain John Stanley who came to Virginia in 1746. His son, Samuel Stanley, came to Columbia when the new city was being formed, around 1797; he and his descendants were among the founders of Trinity Episcopal Church. They also acquired and later sold the property where First Presbyterian Church now stands, reserving a portion of the cemetery for the Stanley plot, where Marian will be buried. Another of Marian’s ancestors, Dr. Robert Hendrick, served on the committee that designed the plans for the layout of Columbia. Captain William Byrd Stanley (1810-1888) was a leading figure in Columbia for many years, serving in the famous “Palmetto Regiment” during the Mexican War and later as a member of Columbia’s governing body that surrendered to General Sherman in 1865. As president of the volunteer Palmetto Steam Fire Engine Company, he fought to save the city from Union fires and later, along with other members of the governing body, rallied to feed and shelter the displaced citizens on the State House grounds. In 1878, he was elected mayor of Columbia and ended the Reconstruction era rule. His nephew and Marian’s grandfather, Charles Duke Stanley, later also settled in Columbia and devoted his entire life and assets to the Christian cause. A devout Methodist, he was a founder of the Oliver Gospel Mission. Marian was a communicant of Trinity Episcopal Cathedral. She was a member of the Afternoon Music Club, the Evening Music Club, and the National Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution, the Shakespeare Oxford Society, and a life member of the Caroliniana Society. Marian was predeceased by her husband, Hubert Whitfield Tucker and two children, Anna Lynn Benson and Herbert Lankford Benson III. She is survived by her daughters, Cynthia Stanley Benson Clarke of Columbia, SC (Sam), Frieda Spearman Benson Grimball (William, Jr) of Norfolk, Virginia, and Sara Elizabeth Benson DeBat (Don) of Chicago, Illinois. Grandchildren are Marian Stanley Grimball, Major William Heyward Grimball, USMC (Cate), William Byrd Stanley Henriksen (Kaitlyn), Mark Herbert Phillips Henriksen, Donald Edward Benson (Natalie), and Herbert Lankford Benson IV. Great-grandchildren are Paul Heyward Grimball, Lucy Doss Grimball and Margot Steele Grimball. Also surviving are step-daughter, Kittrell Anne Tucker and step-granddaughter, Chelsea Tucker Helsley. The family wishes to thank the staff at Laurel Crest for their professional and caring assistance. A graveside service will be held on Tuesday, August 28, 2018 at 4 o’clock in the churchyard of the First Presbyterian Church, 1324 Marion Street, Columbia, South Carolina. Visitation with the family will follow in Jackson Hall. Shives Funeral Home, Trenholm Road Chapel, is assisting the family. Memorials may be made to the USC Education Foundation (designated for the Marian Stanley Tucker Fund) Attention of Caroline Earp; USC School of Music; 813 Assembly Street, Columbia, SC 29208; the First Presbyterian Churchyard Trust Fund, First Presbyterian Church, 1324 Marion Street, Columbia SC 29201; Converse College School of Music, 580 E Main St, Spartanburg, SC 29302 or Trinity Episcopal Cathedral, Columbia, South Carolina, 1100 Sumter Street, Columbia SC 29201.

Tributes

Marian Stanley Tucker

June 12, 1928 - August 25, 2018