Dick McFarland Memorial

In Memoriam

Dick McFarland was a beloved elementary school teacher in both Eureka and Santa Rosa. During his 33 years of teaching, Mr. McFarland taught nearly every elementary grade and even team-taught a joint 4th - 6th grade class with his wife, Anna. No matter which grade he was teaching, Mr. McFarland always incorporated music into his classes. While playing his guitar, he taught his classes to sing along with some of his favorite 'oldies' in addition to songs that reinforced their current lessons, especially lessons about US history. Upon his passing, many students shared their fond memories of their favorite teacher and they still remembered their favorite songs he taught them. Some of his former students even sing these songs with their own children today.

Mr. McFarland was passionate about education, and he saw the importance of including athletics, the arts and music with academic curriculum. That is why the McFarland Family selected Music in Schools Today for memorial donations in his name, as they share this passion and belief that music is not just a fun activity for children in school, but a key pathway to learning. We thank you for your generosity.