Frank B. Stearns, 67, of 6 Columbia Ave., Greenville, passed away at 3:34 p.m. Wednesday at UPMC Shadyside, Pittsburgh, after a 4-month battle with cancer.

Born June 7, 1941, in Brattleboro, Vt., he was the son of Barney A. Stearns and Anne (Yurkus) Stearns.

He received a bachelor of music degree from Westminster Choir College in Princeton, N.J., and a master of music degree from the University of Pittsburgh. He also received a master of education degree from Slippery Rock University, and he studied at Thiel College of Greenville and at Edinboro University.

He retired in 1997 after 28 years as an elementary teacher with the Greenville School District. He also was employed as the director of music for 31 years at Zion's Reformed United Church of Christ in Greenville and for the past 10 years at Center Presbyterian Church in Slippery Rock.

He was a member of Zion's Reformed United Church of Christ in Greenville. Through his musical background, he also had church affiliations with Holy Trinity Lutheran Church, St. Michael Roman Catholic Church and Sharpsville Seventh-day Adventist.

He was a member of the Order of Corpus Christi (OCC), the American Guild of Organists, the Organ Historical Society, the American Recorder Society, a life member of the Mercer County Historical Society, the Greenville Area Historical Society, the Athol (Mass.) Historical Society and the Royalston (Mass.) Village Improvement and Historical Society. In 2007, Frank was named the Mercer County Historical Society Volunteer of the Year.

Frank was the director of Greenville's annual "Messiah" presentation and directed several musicals for GACT and various community choral presentations. He sang with the Thiel Alumni Choir and directed the Bach Society Chorus of Grove City for the past five years. He also served as musical director for the Mercer County Historical Society Chamber Players. He was a member of the Mercer Community Band, the Harrisville Community Band and previously played the viola for the Greenville Symphony Orchestra. He also served on the Greenville Heritage Days Committee and was a member of the Greenville Preservation Committee.

He married Patricia Beckman on Aug. 9, 1969, and she survives at home. Also surviving are two sons, Jin Stearns and his wife, Carolyn, of Canton, Ohio and David Stearns of Transfer; two grandchildren, Ryan Stearns and Elena Stearns; and two sisters-in-law, Sandra Beckman of Greenville and Mary Jane Edwards of Palmyra.

He was preceded in death by parents.

<B>STEARNS </B>— Calling hours for Frank B. Stearns, who died Wednesday, Feb. 4, 2009, will be from 4 to 7 p.m. today at the <B>Loutzenhiser-Jordan Colonial Funeral Home</B>, 366-368 S. Main St., Greenville. Visitation also will be held from 9:45 to 10:45 a.m. Saturday at Holy Trinity Lutheran Church, Penn Avenue, Greenville, where the funeral service will follow at 11 a.m. The Rev. Martin M. Roth, pastor of Holy Trinity Lutheran Church, and the Rev. Philip J. Garner, pastor of Zion's Reformed United Church of Christ, Greenville, will co-officiate. Burial of the cremains will be in Shenango Valley Cemetery, Greenville.A memorial service will be held at 2 p.m. Feb. 15 at Center Presbyterian Church, Slippery Rock, with the Rev. James Boos, interim pastor, officiating.Donations may be made to the Greenville Area Historical Society, Main Street, Greenville, PA 16125 or the Mercer County Historical Society, South Pitt Street, Mercer, PA 16137.Visitors may sign the online guest book and view a DVD tribute at www.loutzenhiser-jordanfuneralhome.com.