James Louis Wadowick

James "Jim" Louis Wadowick, age 90, died peacefully in his sleep at his home, sitting beside Mary Wadowick, his cherished wife of 69 years. He was a dedicated father to Kurt Wadowick, Laura (John) Hein, Mary (Walid) Al-Akhdar, and Natalie (Erik) Berg. He was Grandfather and Papa to ten grandchildren, and Great Grandfather to five. His lifetime of love and loyalty as a husband and father will long be remembered. Jim was born in Cleveland, OH on April 29, 1935. His parents put a violin in his hand at age 5, but when he turned 7, the accordion became his instrument of choice. At age 15, Jim began teaching accordion at Pompili Music Studios, where one of his first students was Mary Nancy Cavano. Not long after that first musical introduction, he began to pursue her, and the rest, as they say, is history! Mary would become his rock; the steadying force of his entire life. He would go on in these early years to enthusiastically study the French horn as well as the piano, eventually entering Case-Western Reserve University to pursue bachelor’s and master’s degrees in music. While an undergrad, he switched from French horn to trumpet, which remained his primary instrument until he retired.

Included here is only a small sample of Jim’s expansive music career as performer and educator. From 1960-1968, Jim served as director of orchestras and bands in various Ohio public school districts. After completion of his master’s degree in 1968, he entered his first trumpet professorship at East Tennessee State University. Then, from 1975-1998 he assumed the position as Associate Professor of Trumpet at Troy State University, Troy, AL. During his tenure at Troy State, Jim was the cornet and post horn soloist with the Troy State University Band. He performed as principal trumpet for 10 years with the Montgomery Symphony. Prior to that he performed in the Tommy Dorsey Band, as lead trumpet in the Charles Goodwin Band, the B.J. Thomas Show, the Dianne Carrol Show and the Jerry Lewis Telethon. Toward the end of Jim’s tenure at Troy State, he resurrected his romance with the violin and the accordion. He was the founder of both the string orchestra program at Troy State and the Alabama Accordion Association. 

Once retired from the university, Jim devoted the rest of his career to the study of the accordion, writing and performing hundreds of classical transcriptions for the instrument. He became sought after nationally as a soloist and clinician, and was even hired as an Accordion Consultant for the film, The Grass Harp, working on set with Walter Matthau. Jim’s love of teaching music was no less vibrant than his love of performing and composing music. Jim gave piano instruction to all four of his children. Each child went on to study other instruments and many of them are performing professionally and semi-professionally. He gave back to the community of Troy as well through his teaching. From 1998-2023 he volunteer-taught at the Colley Senior Complex. His final performance was with his very own ensemble of recorder students, including his wife, Mary. It was a Christmas concert at the Senior Complex in December of 2023 when Jim was 88 years old. Jim never ceased to pour his passion for music into any student who came ready to learn.

Jim’s spirit endures through his family and the music of his students. His life beckons us to remember the past with gratitude and to live the present with vision and enthusiasm. Jim dedicated over 25 years of his lifetime volunteering as the organist at St. Martin of Tours Catholic Church, Troy, AL where his funeral will be held on Tuesday, November 11. Visitation will be at 10:00 a.m. followed by the Catholic Requiem Mass at 11:00 a.m.

In honor of Jim and in lieu of flowers, the family suggests donations to St. Jude Children’s Hospital (www.stjude.org), or St Martin of Tours Catholic Church, Troy, AL (stmartintroyalabama@gmail.com)

The staff of Green Hills Funeral Home is honored to serve the Wadowick family.