In Memoriam: Dr. Francis and Mrs. Alyce B. Honn

The NJSO concert on Sunday, January 20, is dedicated to the memory of Dr. Francis and Mrs. Alyce B. Honn.

Frank and Alyce Honn’s love for classical music was an integral part of their 66-year marriage, starting with their first date to a Metropolitan Opera production of La Bohème and continuing through their support of the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra.
 
Alyce Braun and Frank Honn met while Frank completed graduate studies at Brooklyn Polytechnic Institute and worked at General Cable in Bayonne. Frank was welcomed to the Braun family’s famous Sunday-night dinners and, following a courtship, the two married. Frank’s work in chemical R&D—among the 25 patents that Frank held was his invention of the yellow highlighter—took the new family to Pittsburgh, St. Paul, Marblehead, Greenwich, Grosse Isle and Essex Fells where they settled with their children Cynthia, Gregory, David and Alison.  
 
Both possessed a prodigious love for the arts. Alyce had long enjoyed opera and ballet, while Frank discovered classical music as a teenager. During their many adventures, the Honns supported symphony orchestras, including those of Minnesota, Boston, Detroit and New Jersey. Once the family stayed on in Essex Fells, Alyce joined the NJSO League’s Montclair chapter, marking the start of a 30-plus year relationship and many friendships.
 
The New Jersey Symphony Orchestra remembers and honors the Honns, recipients of the Betty McAlister Award for Volunteerism, and their unwavering support of the Orchestra. We are honored to have their family with us this afternoon. Frank and Alyce loved the beauty of classical music and they believed in the importance of bringing music to all communities. We pay tribute to their vision today.