Dedicated musician, composer and conductor Rosario Montagna died November 25, 2015 of natural causes at his home in Frisco, Texas. He was 95. Rosario, called Russ, was born in New York City, the first of four children of Egina and Rosario Montagna, who had emigrated from Italy. With their constant support Russ’s musical gifts flourished. He graduated from Julliard School of Music in 1951. Russ studied education at Columbia University and received his BA in 1954, and his Masters in 1956. He studied trumpet under William Vacchiano, the lead trumpet of the NY Philharmonic, and later toured with Louis Prima and Leo Riseman.From 1956 through 1988, he began a lifelong career as a teacher of instrumental music in the Levittown Public School System on Long Island. Russ continued to perform on weekends. He also studied the church organ, acting as organist in his later years at Holy Family Church in McKinney Texas. Russ loved this work and played at the Sunday service until the week before his death. He also taught young music students in Plano into his nineties. Russ’s love of family, his lifelong devotion to education and art, and his passion for music inspired his family and his community both in New York and in his adopted home in Texas.

He is survived by his wife Sadie, three sons, Gary and Gerald Montagna and Larry Gordier; daughter-in-law, Giselle; granddaughter, Gina; and sister, Sylvia Koch.

Russ served in the U.S. army from 1942-45 and will be buried at the DFW National Cemetery on December 7, 2015 at 2:00 pm.

Due to cemetery policies, the family has requested no flowers be sent.