John Edward Glayzer III - A Bright Spirit
1934 - 2004

I married John Glayzer May 24, 1964, and we divorced in 1978. We have one daughter, Glynysha, who was born in Nuremberg, Germany on April 4, 1972.

John E. Glayzer III was born in San Antonio, Texas on September 3, 1934 to John, Jr. and Mittie Glayzer. An only child, he had an artistic temperament and began taking piano lessons when he was five. After graduating from High School, he attended Baylor University and received his Bachelor's Degree in Music Theory and Composition.

When I met John, he was working as the Musical Director for Special Services, United States Army, at Fort Hood, Texas. His job was to create theatrical events for entertainment purposes, using the talents of members of the military and civilian community.

There, he cast and performed in "The Fantasticks", starring David Canary (of All My Children fame) as El Gallo and Glenda Glayzer as "The Girl". That production company included Hollywood writer George Yanok and actors H. William Hunt and Bill Bolender. All of these have had long and illustrious theatrical careers.

In 1965, John secured a position as full-fledged Entertainment Director for the European command. We first moved to Verdun, France, and when President de Gaulle evicted the American forces, we were stationed in Kassel, Germany. John showed himself to be an excellent administrator and thrived as a civilian in the military community.

The advancement in grade possibilities were structured so that the person had to go to the position, so John moved from Kassel to Hanau and on to Nuremberg. During that time, he used all his talents to create new theatrical venues and productions, bringing over USO shows and putting them on the stage as well.

I remember when "Grand Funk Railroad" came over to give a concert. John made his own peace statement by using tanks as spotlights, and stirred up the military command structure by having Jimi Hendricks play his version of the National Anthem.

He did many things for a living after we returned to the United States in 1974. He was a composer and conductor. He was a successful real estate agent for several years. In his later years, he had turned to computer programming and was working at the Witte Museum in San Antonio at the time of his death.

John was a handsome man, very youthful always with a ready, broad smile and wonderful ice-blue eyes. His talents were many. I never knew just how beautifully he sang until our daughter's wedding in 2003. I suppose because I was the singer in the family, he just chose not to compete with me, but when he sang at the wedding, it was indeed beautiful.

He was a wonderful, loving father in every way, and just before our daughter's birthday in 2004, he called her to say that he was not feeling well and seemed overly tired. Glynysha suggested that he go to the doctor. He went, and was there until his death from Leukemia just after his seventieth birthday in October.

John, we loved you "as much as the sky is big."

Glenda Glayzer