In memoriam... tribute to Dick Coulter.

Bells of the Cascades is saddened to learn of the recent passing of Dick Coulter. Our founders asked Dick to be our first director, and he was with us for seven years until he and Fran moved to Los Gatos, CA to be closer to family.

Who’s Who in Handbells was originally published by AGEHR (now HMA), from which we have the following facts about Dick’s career:

Dick's involvement with handbells began in 1960 at Trinity Methodist Church, Newport News, VA. He says he was privileged to attend the first AGEHR national conference in St. Louis and later, to be on the faculty of the first Directors Seminar—also in St. Louis.

In Berkeley, CA, he formed the St. John's Ringers, a high school group from St. John's Presbyterian Church that made three European tours, several national tours, and one to Hawaii.

Dick was the only person to be Chairman of two areas of AGEHR, Inc. without moving. He was Chairman of Area IX which later became Area XII. He had conducted massed choirs throughout the United States and as President of AGEHR, Inc., he was proud to be responsible for founding the first national children's festival/conferences. It was during his tenure from 1989 to 1991 that the concept of a curriculum for directors was set in place.

In 1990, Dick became our director. He also served St. Paul's Episcopal Church in Salem, OR as Organist/Choirmaster, which had three handbell choirs as well as an adult singing choir that made two tours of the United States and one to England.

After his “retirement,” he became the Organist/Choirmaster at St. Luke's Episcopal of Los Gatos, CA.
Conductor, Clinician, AGEHR President, all around handbell master and friend. The last time we saw Dick was when he came to our 25th Anniversary concert and celebration. We hope we made him proud then, and with what we’ve accomplished in the ten years since.