In memoriam: John Ware
John Ware was a member of the New York Philharmonic from 1948-88. He served as a leader both as co-principal trumpet of the orchestra and chair of the orchestra committee.
Ware was born in Ambler, Pennsylvania. He left Juilliard after his first semester to enlist after the attack on Pearl Harbor. He was a member of the Army Band of the 36th Combat Engineers Regiment. He participated in campaigns in Africa, Sicily, France, and Germany.
When he returned from the war, he completed his studies at Juilliard, where he met his wife Frances Wilbur. After graduating, Ware held positions with the Buffalo, NY and the Dallas Symphony. Leonard Bernstein appointed him to co-principal trumpet of the New York Philharmonic in 1948. When he retired, Ware moved to Virginia to be closer to family.
Ware is survived by his wife, Frances; daughter and son-in-law, Donna and Jim Zocco; son and daughter-in-law, John and Paula Ware; brothers, Stanley and Curtis Ware; and grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
Sources: Dignity Memorial website, New York Times classifieds