Funeral Services For Tevye Anthony Ditter - April 26, 2014

The Church of Latter Day Saints on Wissemann Drive.


Friends, relatives, co-workers, and many others gathered midday on Saturday to mourn the passing of the gentle giant of Sacramento community musical theater and song, Tevye Ditter.

I found the viewing to be difficult, not just for obvious reasons, but also because a CD was playing of singing from a recent program of Christmas songs from the Sacramento Choral Society and Orchestra:

Guest Artist: Tevye Ditter, Tenor

Radiant music for Christmas
Candlelit procession
Audience singalong
New and familiar choral orchestral holiday songs

The program included the song 'Believe' from "Polar Express". Such beauty! So hard. I had to leave, then return. Here's the song from the movie - imagine Tevye singing it:

After a small group of friends and family finished the viewing with a prayer and the casket was closed, the pallbearers escorted the casket into the main hall. We followed, where a large number of people - I'm guessing 280 - had gathered. I sat with Kelly Mustain, and we shared a hymn book. We sang two hymns: ('How Great Thou Art' and 'God Be With You Till We Meet Again'). Since the best singers from the entire Sacramento Valley were in the room, the hymns sounded wonderful. Special memories were offered, including those from Donald Kendrick of the Sacramento Choral Society, and work supervisors and colleagues (Geraldine Walker, Shelley Tillman, and Fran Mueller). Tev's dad also offered memories of Tev. Nephi Speer sang a wonderful rendition of 'Bring Him Home' from "Les Miserables".

After the service, there was a reception, where various members of the musical theatre community shared Tevye stories.

(I don't know most of the folks at Missouri Street Theater, so no IDs for most of them.)

Michael Cross

x

Kyle Hadley

Dalton McNeely

x

Caitland Martin, in front of a favorite photo of Tevye from "Les Miserables" at Woodland Opera House.

Members of the community sang from "Les Miserables" (x, Michael Cross, Christina Rae, x, Jenny Plasse, Bobby Ellison, x, Christine Deamer, Hugo Figueroa, Tomas Eredia, Caitland Martin).

(Christine Deamer motioned for me to come up and sing too, but I don't know anything about "Les Miserables", so declined.)

Approaching Graveside

Lowering the casket.