Mary Shambarger

Mary Shambarger, age 86, passed away Sunday February 27, 2022, in Rogers, Arkansas. She was born March 6, 1935, in Morrilton, Ark. She was preceded in death by her parents and her husband, Jake Shambarger. Mary was born and raised in Morrilton, Arkansas., by her parents, Clifford, and Emma Lee Stobaugh. After graduating From Morrilton High School, she earned a Bachelor of Music degree from Louisiana State University, later earning her master's from the University of Arkansas. Mary's first teaching job was at Cassville High School in Missouri, where she met her husband, the late Dr. Jake Shambarger, a basketball coach. As newlyweds, the two moved to Walnut Ridge, Ark., to teach at Williams Baptist College, where they remained for six years before moving on to Ouachita Baptist University in 1966. While at Ouachita, Mary formed and directed The Ouachi-Tones, an all-female choral ensemble. The group traveled and performed extensively throughout Arkansas, the U.S. and abroad, serving as ambassadors for the university. In 1991, after 25 years, she chose to restructure the group and formed The Ouachita Sounds, an ensemble combining women and men. While on faculty at OBU, Mary also served as chair of the Department of Applied Music, coordinator of voice and Arkansas governor of the National Association of Teachers of Singing (NATS), and she was OBU's representative for the Arkansas Women of Higher Education. At the time of her retirement from Ouachita in1998, she was the Lena Goodwin Trimble Professor of Music, emerita. The same year, the Mary Shambarger Competition for Singers was established and continues to be held on the OBU campus each February. Mary's other professional accomplishments include producing, writing, and directing shows for Magic Springs Theme Park in Hot Springs, Arkansas; Kentucky Kingdom in Louisville, Kentucky; and Frontier City in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. She has served as minister of music for Baptist churches in Tuckerman, Piggott and Walnut Ridge, Arkansas. Mary has made investing in the lives of others her life's work. For more than 30 years she served on the faculty of Ouachita Baptist University in the Department of Music. Mary has shown grace, leadership, integrity and faith, qualities she instilled in her students. Mary loved her Sunday school class, her book clubs, shopping, playing cards with her friends, cooking, and dining out, going to the movies, the symphony and beautiful music of all kinds. However, her greatest love was spending time with her family. Mary lived in Bentonville, Arkansas. She lived near her daughter, Susan, and son-in-law, Dr. Steve Goss (both graduates of Ouachita). She has two grandsons, Chad and his wife Ashley of Bentonville and Jake and his wife Mariah of Los Angeles, California, two sisters, Martha Davis and her husband Jack of Rogers, Arkansas and Marjorie Halbert and her husband John of Nashville, Tennessee, three great grandchildren Adeline, Whit and Juno, and six nieces, Joy Lynn, Debbie, Jacque, Barbie, Christy and Keri. She was an active member of First Baptist Church in Bentonville, a member of Philanthropic Educational Organization (PEO) and the Bentonville Garden Club. Other professional affiliations include the Andante Music Club, NATS, American Choral Directors Association, Pi Kappa Lambda national music honor society, Sigma Alpha lota international music fraternity for women and the Governing Board of Opera in the Ozarks. Memorial Service will be held 11 a.m., Friday, March 4, 2022, at First Baptist Church Bentonville with a reception to follow in the Family Life Center under the direction of Nelson-Berna Funeral Home Rogers. In lieu of flowers memorials may be made to the: Tangible Truth Ministries https://www.tangibletruthministries.com/give/, Bentonville Public Library Foundation https://interland3.donorperfect.net/weblink/weblink.aspx?name=E252031&id=1, Ouachita Baptist University and please specify the Mary Shambarger Vocal Scholarship Fund, https://obu.edu/development/give.php. To leave an online condolence please visit: www.bernafuneralhomes.com