Obituary

Albert J. Zabel, III
(February 17, 1935 - October 4, 2017)

Albert J. Zabel, III, 82, of Huntington, WV, entered into eternal rest October 4, 2017 at his home.  He was born in Bellingham, WA on February 17, 1935 to the late Albert J. Zabel, Jr. and Jeanette Biery Zabel. He was a 1954 graduate of Bellingham High School, Western Washington University and Westminster Choir College in Princeton, NJ.  He also did summer study at the University of Vienna, Austria.  He was a church musician for more than forty years serving churches in Kingston, NY and Elmira, NY before coming to Huntington.  He was Director of Music Ministries at Johnson Memorial United Methodist church from 1979 until his retirement in 2000.  He also served as an adjunct instructor at Marshall University for over twenty years. He was a member of the American Guild of Organists, the Choristers Guild, the American Guild of English Handbell Ringers and the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers.  An active composer of church music, he had over 150 compositions and arrangements published.  He is survived by his wife of 55 years, Patricia Masman Zabel and three children and their spouses, Albert J. Zabel, IV (Christie) of Culloden, WV, Kurt A. Zabel (Sandra) of Barboursville, WV, and Gretchen L. Deming of Huntington, WV.  Also surviving are six grandchildren, A.J. Zabel, V, Kaitlin Sadler (Joshua), Julie Zabel, Lindsay Deming (fiancé, Elijah Richmond), Shawn Deming, II and Isaiah Washington; two great-grandchildren, Ava and Selenia Harris and two brothers, Jonathan O. Zabel of Maple Valley, WA and Michael A. Zabel of Everson, WA.  A memorial service will be held 2 p.m. Saturday, October 7, 2017 at Enslow Park Presbyterian Church with the Rev.  Chris Perkins presiding.  The family will greet friends from 1 p.m. until service time in the church parlor.  In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Enslow Park Presbyterian Church Music Fund or the Music Scholarship Fund at Johnson Memorial United Methodist Church.