W. Richard Shindle

Dr. William Richard Shindle, known as Richard to his friends, died Wednesday December 11, 2024 at Charlestown Senior Living in Catonsville, MD at the age of 94. Born November 2, 1930 in Van Orin, Illinois, he was the son of the late Reverend Ira William and Elsie Virginia (Showalter) Shindle.

Richard served four years in the US Navy (1951-1955), finishing his service as a Second-Class Petty Officer. His passion for music then led him to Illinois Wesleyan University where he received a Bachelor of Music in Piano Performance in 1959. He went on to study musicology at Indiana University School of Music, earning a MM in 1963 and later a PhD in 1970. He joined the staff of Ohio’s Kent State University in 1966 as professor of musicology. He taught there for 25 years before retiring to Westminster, MD and receiving the title of professor emeritus. During his retirement he became involved researching his ancestry and published two books on the Shindle family.

Of his numerous published works there is his master’s thesis on the keyboard works of Ercole Pasquini, his doctoral dissertation on the madrigals of Giovanni de Macque, and the three-volume set of Girolamo Frescobaldi’s Keyboard Compositions Preserved in Manuscripts. The editorial board of the renowned New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians asked him to author articles on Macque, Pasquini, and other musicians. He prepared for this by visiting European music archives in Rome, Naples, Florence, Bologna, Ferrara, Modena, Spoleto, Munster, London, Cambridge, Vienna, Krakow, and Warsaw. He felt it was important to study primary source materials and to meet with musicologists doing the same research. This led to him establishing the W. Richard Shindle Musicology Fund for Indiana University’s doctoral students traveling for research-related work on their dissertations in musicology. Among his many achievements, he received the Albert Nelson Marquis Lifetime Achievement Award, and the Distinguished Worldwide Humanitarian Award, becoming well known internationally for his accomplishments in musicology.

Richard was predeceased by his sister Evelyn Virginia (Shindle) and brother-in-law Sam Wiley Inmon, sister Dorothy Shindle, and brother Robert Lee and sister-in-law Mary Virginia (Kloos) Shindle. Surviving are his nephews and nieces, Evelyn’s children Randall Inmon of Frederick, Debra Lyn Inmon of Middletown, Cathy Lee (Inmon) and husband Kevin Inman of Frederick; Robert’s son Robert William Shindle of Thurmont; and Cathy’s children, grandniece Bethany Ann (Inman) and husband Zack Patterson of Lititz, PA, and grandnephew Devin Michael Inman of Frederick.

Funeral Mass will take place on Tuesday, January 14 at 11AM in Our Lady of the Angels Chapel, Charlestown Retirement Community. Family will receive guests from 10:30-11AM. Burial will be private.