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Douglas “Pace” Sturdevant (1948–2025) performed with the National Arts Centre Orchestra as Principal Trumpet for 23 years. He died on January 14, 2025 at age 76. NACO violinist Winston Webber submitted this remembrance of his colleague and friend. 

Douglas “Pace” Sturdevant 1948 – 2025“It’ll never last!” That’s what they said when Pace Sturdevant and Nancy Denner got married, still at university, the same year the Beatles released Abbey Road. Famous last words. I’ve never  seen anyone love someone like Nancy loved Pace and she still loved Pace heart and soul fifty-six  years later when he died in her arms. Cancer, heart – “he had a whole phonebook of things” one of his doctors said – but until the end you wouldn’t know.  

Nancy loved Pace, Pace loved Nancy, I loved Pace, his friends loved Pace, his three kids loved Pace, his grandkids loved Pace, his colleagues loved Pace, his students loved Pace. Everybody loved Pace. It’s hard to say what for exactly because Pace was lovable in so many ways. 

He was so smart it would’ve been annoying except he was so laid back you didn’t feel like an idiot until later. He knew every conductor and what made them great or not great (not great was more fun). He knew everything in the repertoire and tons of stuff that wasn’t. Especially the stuff that wasn’t. There really wasn’t anything worth knowing in music that Pace didn’t know.  

And when he got down to business as a trumpet player, he was simply the best. From our school days together at the University of Michigan until he retired thirty years later after blowing out his lip during a week with three pops concerts and a Bach B-minor Mass, I heard his flawless, stylish, classy playing in everything from Haydn to Scriabin. OMG, you should’ve heard his Scriabin . . .  

But just playing like a god wasn’t enough. As a colleague, a mentor, a conductor, a teacher, a passionate advocate for music education, he was also simply the best. His favourite thing was to  grab a CD and say, “Hey! You have to hear this! This is fantastic!” He had the priceless talent of being welcoming, friendly, one of the guys, but also naturally, subtly, effortlessly in charge.  

Dear Pace, I just can’t imagine this world without you in it. I can’t imagine music without you, I can’t imagine having a great glass of wine without you, I can’t imagine your beloved  Adirondacks without you. It just doesn’t compute. Your leaving this world is . . . we’ll never get over it. We’ll just keep moving on, because that’s the only option. Moving on, and remembering you, and missing you every day. 

And I will always remember whenever someone would say, “Hey look! Pace looks like Robert Redford!” I’d say, “No. Robert Redford looks like Pace.” 

Winston Webber, National Arts Centre Orchestra