Dr. Joseph Ovide DeLage Jr., born December 29, 1933, passed on January 3, 2019 in Birmingham, Alabama. He was preceded in death by parents Joseph Ovide DeLage Sr. and Velma Worth Dodson, his wife Ella Beth Fenn and sister, Betty Ann Trask. He is survived by four children: Daniel Ovide DeLage Sr. (wife Shannon), Yvette Renee Adams (partner Shannon), Andrea Michelle Jackson (husband Scott), and Joseph Ovide DeLage III (wife Mai); four grandchildren: Arden Bailey Adams, Daniel Ovide Jr. (wife Victoria), Mara Katya DeLage, and Skylar Diane Jackson; and three great grandchildren: Michael Ovide DeLage, James Brayden McKenzie, and Easton James DeLage; sister, Velma Louise Putman and brother-in-law Edward Ott Trask.
Dr. DeLage grew up in Baton Rouge, graduated from Baton Rouge High School and Louisiana State University where he received a BM Degree in Music. He attended New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary where he received a Master of Sacred Music and met his wife of 59 years, Ella Beth Fenn. He earned his PhD in musicology from Florida State University. He also attended the university of Indiana and Rochester, N.Y.
Dr. DeLage had a love for learning and an insatiable love of music. He felt God’s call to be a teacher and influenced may of his students. While pursuing his studies and teaching career, Dr. DeLage served as interim music director for several churches in Mississippi, Texas, Louisiana and Alabama, before finding a home at First United Methodist Church in Pell City, AL. He also served as Chairman of the Music Department while teaching Music Theory and History at Atlantic Christian College, Wilson NC; Wayland Baptist College, Plainview, TX and Louisiana Baptist College, Pineville, LA, where he also served as director of the Civic Opera Guild.
Following his tenure at Louisiana College, he moved his family to Montevallo, AL in 1971. He served the University of Montevallo in the Music Department for twenty-four years during which her served as Coordinator of Music Theory, Director of Graduate Studies in Music, Associate Chairman of the Music Department and, finally, as Chairman of the Music Department. He was named University Scholar and Distinguished Teacher as well as earning the title Professor Emeritus. Throughout his career, he was active in numerous professional, educational, and honor organizations and was founding president of Alabama Teachers of Music Theory. He also directed the Civic Chorus of Pell City and directed the Sanctuary Choir and the First United Methodist Church.
Visitation is 4:00 to 6:00 at Southern Heritage Funeral Home, Pelham, AL on January 6, 2019. Internment will be at Green Oaks Memorial Park in Baton Rouge, LA at 2:30 on January 7, 2019.
In lieu of flowers, the family request donations be given to the Sanctuary Choir of the First United Methodist Church. These donations will go to the Joseph O. DeLage and Ella Beth DeLage Memorial Fund to help with the expenses of guest performers.
