James Ryan Stephenson III, 65, died April 17, 2008 at Wildwood Nursing Care Center in Indianapolis, IN after a prolonged illness.
Stephenson was born in Indianapolis and lived in the city during his early adult years. He moved to Cedar Rapids, IA where he resided for approximately 6 years, relocating to Cincinnati, OH in 1978 where he lived for 30 years before returning to Indianapolis this past December.
Stephenson was preceded in death by his parents, James Ryan Stephenson II and Irma Ruth (Gilchrist) Stephenson, both of Indianapolis.
As a boy of just 8 years, he started his singing career with the Men and Boys Choir of Christ Church Cathedral in Indianapolis (the "Little Church on the Circle"). After high school, he attended Indiana University in Bloomington, IN where he continued his musical education. Opera, Oratorio and recital singing became his specialties.
Stephenson performed major opera roles with the Indianapolis Opera Company, the Opera Company of Berkley California, Singers Theatre in Indianapolis, and as Tenor soloist in the St. John's Passion in New York, with members of the New York Philharmonic, Verdi Requiem at Northwestern University in Chicago, the National Cathedral Choral Society in Washington, D.C., Seattle, San Francisco and other major U.S. cities.
His career also took him to Europe where he continued his studies and performed both Opera and Oratorio. While in Austria, Stephenson coached with Mr. Heinrich Schmidt, who was Fritz Wunderlich's coach in Vienna.
In 1978 he moved to Cincinnati, OH to coach with Dr. Robert Evans, he has appeared as soloist many times in Oratorios at Christ Church, Center Civic Opera, Musica Sacra, Mt. St. Mary's Seminary, the College Conservatory of Music and Northern Kentucky University. Stephenson was formerly on faculty at the Jordan College of Music of Butler University in Indianapolis, IN.
In addition to his love of opera singing, Stephenson was a gifted musician and played the piano, organ, trumpet, coronet and French horn. During his youth he performed in the Junior Civic Theatre in Indianapolis and as an adult performed musical comedy and dramas and is credited with performances in "Sweet Charity", "How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying, "South Pacific", "King David", "Scenes from the Life of a Martyr", along with many choral and cantata performances.
Stephenson was self-employed for most of his life and owned and operated several retail carpet and installation stores both in the Indianapolis and Cincinnati areas. Prior to being disabled in 2002 he retired from Avon Cosmetics Company in Cincinnati.
He was a man of faith and during his life held membership at Christ Church Cathedral in Indianapolis, St. Paul's Methodist Church in Cedar Rapids, IA, North United Methodist Church in Indianapolis and Hyde Park Methodist Church in Cincinnati, OH.
Stephenson was the father of Cheryl Lynn Stephenson, David Paul Stephenson and James Ryan Stephenson IV. He is survived by wife Leslie C. Stephenson and step-daughter Autumn Shelton, both of Hillsboro, OH. He is also survived by his sister, Sue Ann (Stephenson) Abel, brother-in-law John Abel, nephew Scott Abel, nieces Angela Abel, Debbie (Abel) Gill, Patricia (Abel) Brant; and great nieces Hollie Maxwell and Meagan Brant; as well as a great nephew Noah Gill.
Family and friends may attend a visitation at 12:00 noon followed by a memorial service at 1:00 PM on Saturday, April 26, 2008 at the Forest Lawn Memorial Gardens and Funeral Home located at 1977 South State Road 135, Greenwood, IN 46143.