David Hugh Watkins, age 87, of Terre Haute, IN, passed away November 26, 2020, following a brief illness with COVID-19. He was born August 6, 1933, in Rockwall County, TX, to Daniel Webster Watkins and Iva (Lowrie) Watkins. David was a talented pianist from an early age, able to play by ear or by reading music. He attended Rockwall High School and was the Valedictorian of the class of 1951. He began attending North Texas State College, interrupting his education to serve in the US Army from 1953-1955. It was in the Army that he refined his skills as a French horn player in the 62nd Army Band, and he returned to North Texas State College and graduated with a Music Education degree in 1958. From 1958-1963, he played horn in the Dallas Symphony.

He moved to Bloomington, IN to study horn with Philip Farkas at Indiana University, earning Masters and Doctoral degrees from IU, and meeting a fellow horn player, Nancy Lee (Slack) Watkins. They married in 1964. He joined the faculty of Indiana State University Music Department full-time in 1965 as the horn instructor, also teaching music theory, literature, and history. He was also a composer and arranger and enjoyed performing some of his arrangements with the Faculty Brass Quintet on a trip to Tajimi, Japan, in 1992. After retiring from ISU as a Full Professor in 1997, he continued to lecture about opera and other musical topics for the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI). Dave played horn alongside his wife Nancy in the Terre Haute Symphony Orchestra for 40 years from 1965-2005. He also played horn or piano in other local musical groups, including the ISU Woodwind Quintet, Wabash Valley Horn Club, Stonehenge Band, The Baxter Band, and the Terre Haute Concert/Community Band. He touched many lives as teacher, colleague, and friend.

Dave is survived by his wife of 56 years, daughters Jennifer Watkins of Fayetteville, NC; Shirah (Zev) Winicur of Indianapolis; and Laura (Bart) Ping of Terre Haute; grandsons Omri Winicur and Micah Winicur; granddaughters Dana Ping and Rowan Ping; sister-in-law Betty Watkins of Austin, TX; niece Nancy (Chuck) Ballman and nephews Dan High, Scott Watkins, Brett Watkins, and James Watkins; and great-nieces, great-nephews and cousins. He was preceded in death by his parents, sister and brother-in-law Dorothy “Dot” and Robert High, and brothers James “Buzz” Watkins and Ted Watkins.

There will be no immediate memorial service, but we hope to gather in music and memory in 2021. Private burial of cremains will be in Highland Lawn Cemetery, Terre Haute, IN. Contributions in Dave’s memory can be made to the David H. Watkins Music Scholarship, Indiana State University Advancement, 30 North 5th Street, Terre Haute IN, 47809, https://givetoindianastate.org, or Terre Haute Symphony Orchestra, 25 North 6thStreet, Terre Haute IN, 47807, https://www.thso.org.

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