David Frederick “Fred” Elder, organist at Boston Avenue United Methodist Church for 35 years, entered eternal life on July 26, 2025, after a courageous ten-year battle with multiple myeloma. Fred was born December 4, 1934, in Struthers, Ohio, to James and Gertrude Elder.

At age five he discovered his neighbor’s piano, and began to beg for one of his own, to no avail. Two years later, his father died in an automobile accident, and his grandmother moved in with them. She brought her piano with her. Fred began studying piano at age eight, and a few years later became the regular pianist at the local Methodist church. Every Sunday he accompanied opening exercises for the youth department downstairs, then raced upstairs to play closing exercises for the adults. He begged his piano teacher to let him play the church’s organ “just once,” and she finally agreed to give him “ten minutes.” Fred was fascinated with the foot pedals and multiple keyboards, and his teacher had to drag him off the bench. By then, he was hooked. Two years after Fred lost his father, his mother was also killed in an automobile accident. Fred and his older brother Jim moved to the country to live with their maternal grandparents when he was twelve. Fred’s formal organ training began rather accidentally that year. A church member donated a new Hammond organ to the Lutheran church his family attended, and the deal included ten free organ lessons. The church organist wasn’t interested, so she gave the lessons to Fred. A few months later, she decided that he was ready to play for Sunday worship services. She left on vacation and never returned, so Fred became the regular organist at age thirteen. He played for worship on Sunday, then went to school and worked on the farm during the week, butchering hogs, feeding livestock, and plowing fields. As Fred began to plan for college, he learned that Westminster Choir College in Princeton, New Jersey, had the most revered organ department in the country at that time. Westminster became his first choice. With the help of his high school music teacher, he managed to become one of 35 students to get an audition, then was one of fifteen who were finally accepted. He spent that summer making concrete blocks to pay the tuition. As a “lowest on the totem pole” freshman, Fred’s designated practice time on the chapel organ, where lessons were given, was from midnight to 2:00 a.m. daily. Fortunately, the student who followed him from 2:00 to 4:00 often didn’t show up, so Fred got to practice four hours. As a student organist, he directed three choirs and played for worship at an area church on weekends before returning to weekday classes. During the summers he did construction work, delivered mail, pumped gas, and sold furniture to pay his tuition. Fred earned his Bachelor of Music degree in Organ Performance in 1957, and his Master of Music just twelve months later, both at Westminster. After graduation he and his roommate, Tom Flynn, both enlisted in the Navy and were stationed in Washington, D.C., where he played saxophone in the Navy band and regularly marched in dress parades. After an honorary discharge, he was hired as Organist/Director of Music at First Congregational Church in Port Huron, Michigan, in 1960. There he began doctoral work at the University of Michigan. In 1964, he accepted the organist position at Boston Avenue Methodist Church in Tulsa. Fred quickly became involved, accompanying choirs, playing for all services, and presenting monthly 20-minute organ recitals. He also hosted outstanding guest organists annually, including composer Maurice Duruflé. After moving to Tulsa, Fred continued his studies with Mildred Andrews at the University of Oklahoma, and his path often crossed with his predecessor at Boston Avenue, Barbara Benefiel. In 1971 he took a nine-week sabbatical to study with Anton Heiller and Marie Claire Alain at the Organ Academy in Haarlem, Netherlands.

When the academy ended, he flew to London for a week of touring with friends. One of those friends was Barbara Benefiel, and by the end of the tour their friendship had blossomed into a romance. The two were married the following year. From 1973 to 1979 Fred served on the music faculty at Oral Roberts University, teaching hymnology and liturgy in addition to piano and organ lessons and his work at the church. He also became very involved in the American Guild of Organists, serving twice as dean of the local chapter, holding state and regional AGO offices, hosting regional conventions, traveling around the country as an AGO recitalist, and sitting on the national AGO Council for five years. He became an internationally known organist, presenting recitals in England, Holland, and Canada. He is listed in American Keyboard Organists. In 1978 Fred founded one of the church’s most beloved services, the Advent Festival of Lessons and Carols, patterned after a similar service at King’s College in Cambridge, England. Several Tulsa churches now hold similar services. One of Fred’s largest projects was planning and supervising a $400,000 expansion and improvement of the church’s organ in 1987. He played the inaugural recital when the work was completed. Two years later he was named Director of Music at Boston Avenue, a position he held until his retirement in January 2000. In 1990 he took a second sabbatical to attend the International Organ Academy in Paris, France, and in 2022 he consulted on another large organ revision at the church. On his 30th anniversary at the church in 1994, friends and colleagues honored him with an endowed recital series in his name, the Fred Elder Recital Series. That series has continued to bring the world’s best organists to Tulsa. Olivier Latry, organist at Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris, France, will present the next Fred Elder Recital on October 12 at 5:00 p.m. All are welcome. Fred is survived by his sister-in-law and several nieces, nephews, and cousins, in addition to numerous dear friends and colleagues including Tom Flynn and his family. His beloved wife Barbara preceded him in death on July 23, 2020, during the Covid epidemic.

Since it was not possible to hold a service for her at that time, Fred chose to wait and have a combined service at the time of his death. That celebration of their lives will be held on Tuesday, September 30, at 2:00 p.m. at Boston Avenue United Methodist Church. It will also be live streamed at https://www.bostonavenue.org/life-events/ for those unable to attend in person.

In lieu of flowers, please consider a gift to the Fred Elder Recital Series or the Organ Fund at Boston Avenue Church, or to the Tulsa Symphony Orchestra in honor of Fred and Barbara.

Ninde Funeral & Cremation | (918) 742-5556 | ninde.com