Marsh Hudson Obituary (1945 - 2025)

Walker Marsh Hudson died peacefully in Deer Park, Texas, on Thursday, May 29, 2025, at the age of 79. Marsh was born on September 14, 1945, in Union City, Tennessee, the first child of Rev. R. M. Hudson, a Presbyterian minister, and Billye Walker Hudson. Marsh’s early years were marked by frequent family relocations and new, extraordinary experiences, as his father was called to lead and sometimes start new Presbyterian churches in Tennessee, Kentucky, Colorado, and Arkansas. Marsh was always active in the church, particularly through choral music. This continued throughout his life, with his early exposure to music leading him to become a classical musician. He served as a minister of music in many churches throughout his career in Tennessee, Florida, Washington State, and Texas. As an undergraduate and graduate student in music, Marsh attended Colorado State College in Greeley (now the University of Northern Colorado), the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville, and the University of Memphis (formerly Memphis State University). He received his Bachelor's and Master's degrees in Music from the University of Memphis, with an emphasis on musical performance and voice. He later earned his M.A. in Church Music and Christian Education from the Presbyterian School of Christian Education in Richmond, Virginia. He studied conducting, arranging, and composition at Virginia Commonwealth University. Marsh had an exceptionally strong and beautiful baritone voice, with which he thrilled audiences in many opera performances from Carmen to MacBeth to The Young Mozart. When singing the part of Papa Mozart, he and his fellow performers were invited to The Kennedy Center, one of the highlights of his career. As a younger man, he held the position of Cantor for many years with a Jewish synagogue in the Nashville, Tennessee area. He was also an accomplished musician on French horn, piano, trumpet, and other brass instruments, having played French horn in the Clear Lake Symphony for 15 years, the Galveston Symphony Orchestra for many years, and the Pasadena Philharmonic Orchestra from 2004 until early 2025. He taught music in several public schools, and many private lessons in voice and brass instruments. One of his joys was joining with small groups of friends over the years to play house concerts, one ensemble called The Montclair Salon Orchestra. Classical music was Marsh’s life, but as important were the fellow musicians and close friends who populated that life. He encouraged friends to renew their interest in playing, which had often been set aside, as few classical musicians can earn a living from just their music. At least two of those friends went on to join symphonies, and some of his musician friends became family. Marsh shared his smile, optimism, caring personality, and deep Christian faith through his music over the years. He was someone who truly never met a stranger. Marsh is survived by his daughter Kristin Narreau (Zachary) of Buford, Georgia, his stepson Anthony Harville (Katie) of Bailey, North Carolina, his sister Miriam Hudson-Courtney (Michael Courtney) of Fayetteville, Arkansas, and first cousins Randall Revercomb of Falls Church, Virginia, and Mary Virginia Revercomb (Dominic Del Pozzo) of Chevy Chase, Maryland. The family asks that anyone wishing to remember Marsh with a donation please direct it to the Pasadena Philharmonic Symphony Orchestra, Pasadena, Texas.