Freddie Trembath: Her planned gift helped the ASO keep playing during the pandemic.
Mary "Freddie" Trembath died on August 7, 2019, leaving a substantial bequest to the ASO. Freddie grew up in Cleveland, OH, the daughter of an Army bandleader, and became a gifted musician, substituting as a flutist in the Cleveland Orchestra during her youth and in playing with the Columbus Symphony Orchestra when she was working at Fort Benning. And though she ultimately pursued a civil service career, her passion for music was a big part of her entire life. She soon arrived in Atlanta, where she worked for the IRS in a variety of management positions. A devoted member of Glenn Memorial United Methodist Church, she sang in the Chancel Choir for 33 years, including several times when the choir joined the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra Chorus to sing under Robert Shaw. She loved the ASO and came regularly to concerts.
Freddie lived simply and frugally and was a prodigious saver, putting her tax and business savvy to use with her investments. Her generous bequest to the ASO was one of the factors in the Orchestra's ability to continue playing during the pandemic and to position itself for a bold new era with Nathalie Stutzmann as Music Director, a development that would have meant much to Freddie, a pioneering woman in her
own field.
One of Freddie’s favorite quotes is from Goethe:
A man should hear a little music, read a little poetry, and see a fine picture every day of his life, in order that worldly cares may not obliterate the sense of the beautiful which God has implanted in the human soul.
