Click here to read Margaret Baxtresser’s obituary from the Beacon Journal on June 9th. Click here to to view the program from Margaret’s memorial service. Click here to read ‘Mourning a nurturing friend in music ed’. Click here to read ‘Margaret Baxtresser: A life in tune’. Margaret Baxtresser A passion for music and life   Margaret Baxtresser led an extraordinary and intelligent life. By intelligent, we do not mean brainy alone. Mrs. Baxtresser knew how to live fully. She was a woman of great personal achievement, as a wife, mother and concert pianist. She also dedicated her life to the whole, moving the community forward through her grace, warmth and sharp sense of how to get things done.   On Tuesday, Mrs. Baxtresser died at age 82 following a stroke. Her family and many friends have spent the days since absorbing the loss, sharing memories, celebrating an enviable life. Surely, those conversations have returned to her passion for music, her daughter Jeanne, a concert flutist, once explaining to Elaine Guregian, the Beacon Journal music writer, about her mother’s “physical need” to play the piano, that need leading to exquisite performances near and far, from the campus of Kent State University, to Chicago, London and Hong Kong and many places in between.   Her passion wasn’t forbidding. Mrs. Baxtresser had a gift for engaging people. She had a rich laugh. She listened intently. Canvas the musical arts organizations in this community, and you’ll find her imprint, evidence of her counsel, direction and inspiration. Mrs. Baxtresser would be the first to highlight the contributions of others. All of those in the know recognized her indispensable presence, supporting the likes of the Akron Symphony Orchestra, Tuesday Musical and the Children’s Concert Society.   For the four decades that she resided in this area, Mrs. Baxtresser opened her home to the arts community. Visiting soloists would hold court. She would serve as a bridge, making introductions, forging connections, adding uncommon vitality to the scene. That generosity of spirit reflected, perhaps more than anything, her intelligence about life. She had a passion for music and something larger. She embraced the challenges and those around her. She knew how to enhance all of our lives. This editorial was printed by the Akron Beacon Journal on June 12th, 2005.