Tribute to Carlyle Neckers

Carlyle Neckers, music teacher in Ripley during the 1960s, recently passed away at the age of 96. I hadn’t thought much about him until I saw his obituary in the Jamestown paper. Then of course the memories started floated back.

I’ve searched the old yearbooks, at least the ones I have, and he appears in 1961 as the chorus teacher. I would have been 10 years old then, and not yet exposed to his rich and salty sense of humor. But three years later, in February 1964 the Beatles hit America and Mr. Neckers broadside. It wasn’t music he assured us, it wouldn’t last. He went so far as to state, “They won’t last 10 years.” The girls all clamored they would last forever! Yeah, yeah, yeah… We were all right. In ten years the group disintegrated, and yet their music lives on. I wonder if he ever remembered that prediction.

I remember Mr. Neckers as a fun guy, making musical notes easy to understand and chorus a pleasure. He would tease and cajole us into singing his choice of songs for concerts, songs I later recognized from Broadway shows or classic movies. “Pick a little, talk a little, pick a little, talk a little, cheep, cheep, cheep, talk-a-lot-pick-a-little-more…” with the counterpoint Good Night Ladies from a hilarious scene from The Music Man. Ridiculous in the 9th grade, but a classic I later learned. He introduced to me to a whole world of music that I didn’t understand at the time. I vaguely remember a music history class of his, but I wasn’t paying much attention I guess. But over the years, bits and pieces come back to me.

He appears in the RCS yearbooks from 1961 until 1968. He guided us through dozens of Christmas and Spring concerts, and trips to Chautauqua Institute to compete with the other local schools. Like most of the teachers I had, I never thought of them as whole people. They were one-dimensional, without history or substance outside the school day. Mr. Neckers life is a study in a life well lived. From having a grandpa who served in the Civil War, to operator of a general store, to semi-pro basketball player, he was an interesting man in all respects it seems.

I’m saddened by his death, even though I didn’t know him well. He touched my young life briefly, dropped some pearls of learning, and went on to bigger and better things. I’m glad he passed my way. Rest in peace Mr. Neckers. You made this world a better place.

To read more about his life, go to http://www.lifestorynet.com/memories/50124/.