In Memoriam: Dr. William Dailey

The Department of Music was saddened to learn of the passing of Dr. William “Bill” Dailey, a dedicated member of the Department of Music faculty for decades. Dr. Dailey died on February 27. A memorial service will be held at Resurrection Church on Saturday, March 23, at 2:00 pm. The family will receive visitors prior to the service, at 1:00 pm.

Dr. Jeffrey Price, emeritus associate professor of voice, provided this fitting testimonial for Dr. Dailey:

“Dr. Dailey began his teaching with the Department of Creative Arts and continued as a faculty member when the Department of Music was formed until his retirement in 2005. His love of music and his unwavering devotion to his students were always evident in the classroom and in conversations with colleagues, and his curiosity for all things musical never stopped.

“Dr. Dailey taught University Chorale for decades; Vocal Jazz Ensemble, for which he did many of the musical arrangements; and Music Appreciation, for which he was praised by the non-music major students for his knowledge his ability to share that knowledge in an inspirational way that caused them to learn and grow in their appreciation of all arts, but especially music. He taught, performed, and did music arranging with a tireless joy. This was recognized and celebrated by students and the broader University community when Dr. Dailey became the recipient of what has become the Bank of America Award for Excellence in Teaching.

“Bill Dailey was a visible representative of the Department of Music in the community as a choir director in churches, and as the conductor of the Charlotte Choral Society for many years. Dr. Dailey’s spouse, Eleanor Dailey, also taught class piano for decades at UNC Charlotte. The two of them remained musically active together even following their retirements from UNC Charlotte and appeared in a number of community music theater productions, including “The Music Man” in the summer of 2018 on the campus of Central Piedmont Community College.

“Dr. Dailey’s passion for music and teaching and his compassion for students, colleagues, family, and the broader community were always obvious. Kindness, generosity, and love of humanity were hallmarks of Dr. William Dailey.”