Charyl June (Trayhern) Singer

Charyl June (Trayhern) Singer, 80, passed away on Sunday morning (August 13, 2023) at her home in Baldwin City, Kansas. 

Charyl was born February 25, 1943 in Hillsdale, Michigan, daughter of the late June (Bruce) Greenfield and Edward Greenfield.  She was raised by her mother June and stepfather, the late Robert Trayhern.  Charyl was a 1960 graduate of McLean High School (McLean, VA) and a 1965 graduate of the Eastman School of Music with a bachelor’s degree in piano performance.  Later, she obtained her master’s degree in piano performance at the Conservatory of Music at University of Missouri-Kansas City. 

Charyl spent most of her life as a certified piano instructor and was a member of the Kansas City Music Teachers Association.  She had a passion for classical music, and enjoyed sharing her love of piano with the many students she was privileged to teach. Charyl was also a gifted gardener and found joy in cultivating beauty in the outdoors and making spaces in nature that could be enjoyed by all. 

Charyl was a devoted daughter, sister, wife, mother, and grandmother.  She enjoyed playing piano with her mother for hours (often accompanied by joyful laughter) and assisting her stepfather with caring for acres of azaleas.  Charyl had a love of horses, which she shared with her children and grandchildren.  She was the best storyteller, masterfully using tone and inflection to entertain all who listened, and she always found the right words.  Perhaps most of all, Charyl was a moral compass and a trusted confidante for her friends and family.  Her children and grandchildren will fondly remember annual family vacations taken with her to their favorite beach, where they were able to make wonderful memories together.

Charyl is survived by her sons and daughters-in-law, Gregory and Laurie Singer of Barboursville, Virginia, and Stephen and Greta Singer of Ottawa, Kansas; four grandchildren, Caden and Brennan Singer of Barboursville, Virginia, and Leela and Rhys Singer of Ottawa, Kansas; one sister, Laurie Trayhern, of Overland Park, Kansas; and one nephew, Michael Curtis of Menlo Park, CA. Charyl was preceded in death by her husband, Dr. Philip Anton Singer of Stanley, Kansas. 

No memorial services will be held.  In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorial donations be made to Friends of the Arboretum, P.O. Box 26392, Overland Park, KS 66225.  Lamb-Roberts-Price Funeral Home, 712 9th Street, P.O. Box 64, Baldwin City, KS 66006.  Condolences may be sent the family through www.lamb-roberts.com. 

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Charyl June (Trayhern) Singer, please visit our floral store.