David Clement McCormick

David Clement McCormick, 95, a resident of Carolina Meadows community in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, died on December 2, 2025.

David was born on August 17, 1930 in his parents’ home in Destrehan, Saint Charles Parish, Louisiana. He was the youngest of three sons born to Gertrude “Steve” Louise Stephens and Louis Lafayette McCormick. David’s brothers, Louis, Jr. and John, preceded him in death.

David married Lorraine Junette Munger on October 23, 1954 at Faith Lutheran Church in Arlington, Virginia, and they had three children together. Lorraine died in 1991 in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. David married Constance Dennis in 1995 at Saint Hilary’s Episcopal Church in Fort Myers, Florida. Constance died in 2020 in Fort Myers.

After graduating from Destrehan High School, David earned a Bachelor of Music Education degree from Southeastern Louisiana College (Hammond, Louisiana) in 1951. He earned graduate degrees from Northwestern University (Evanston, Illinois): Master of Music in tuba performance, then Ph.D. in music in 1970.

David’s career began as a tuba player in The United States Army Band at Fort Myer, Virginia, from 1952 to 1955. Portions of his doctoral thesis, A History of the United States Army Band to 1946, are still required reading for incoming band members at Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall. He served as music faculty at Manchester College in North Manchester, Indiana and Morton High Schools in Cicero and Berwyn, Illinois. He frequently told friends, “Of all my jobs, I consider my time as high school band director to be the most important. I am still in touch with some of my “Morton kids” who tell me how band positively influenced their lives.” In 1970 he became the Head of the Music Department at his alma mater, Southeastern Louisiana University. From 1987 to 1993 he served in the Louisiana State University System in Baton Rouge, first as Academic Vice President then as Interim President. In 1993 David moved to Fort Myers, Florida and served as the Dean & CEO of the University of South Florida, Fort Myers Branch. He guided that campus through expansion to create Florida Gulf Coast University in 1997, whereupon he retired.

One of David’s most valued connections was his association with the Midwest Clinic International Band & Orchestra Conference. This began when he was a grad student at Northwestern in 1956. He served on the staff and board until 2016 and then attended as a participant and clinician through 2022.

In retirement David continued to play tuba in community bands and orchestras, traveled internationally as a band clinician, and served on the music committee at Carolina Meadows.

David is survived by three children, Barbara McCormick of San Francisco, CA, James McCormick (Juawice) of Water Valley, MS, and Carol Ann McCormick (Mark Peifer) of Chapel Hill, NC. In addition, he is survived by four grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.

David is also survived by his step-children, Catherine McHugh Knapp (James), John McHugh-Dennis (Tim), Douglas Dennis (Kate), Ann McHugh Brinson (Don), Julie McHugh Persellin, Mike McHugh (Liane), and Danielle Dennis (Matthew Marshall), and their children.

David’s family extends their most sincere gratitude to the staff and residents of Carolina Meadows who made his life in that community so rich for the past five years. We also thank the staff of AuthoraCare Collective Hospice who eased his final month of life.

Please join us to celebrate David’s long life on February 28, 2026, at 10:00 a.m. at Grace Memorial Episcopal Church in Hammond, Louisiana. Interment will follow the same day at Metairie Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, please direct memorials to Dept of Music & Dramatic Arts, Southeastern Louisiana University, SLU Foundation, Hammond LA 70402 with memo on check: Music Dept in memory of David McCormick or https://www.southeastern.edu/foundation/giving/college-of-arts-humanities-and-social-sciences-giving/ [select “Music & Dramatic Arts” in the “Choose Your Cause” section, and in the “Leave a comment” field, please specify “Music Dept in memory of David McCormick”], to the music program at your local high school or university, or to a charity of your choice.