On April 18, we received the following sad news from NASMD:
Beloved NASMD past president James “Jim” Eugene Kidder passed away on Tuesday, April 15, 2025. He was 84 years old.
Jim was strongly influenced by his high school band teacher, who encouraged him to continue playing the trumpet. Jim attended Illinois Wesleyan University, where he received a BS in music education, and went on to earn his MS in school administration from Bradley University. While teaching band in Lacon, Illinois, he met his future wife Floride “Ede” Barnes. They married in 1965. Jim began his career in music retail that same year when he joined Byerly Music as a roadman. Jim and Ede founded Kidder Music Service in 1974, which is now led by their daughter Beth Houlihan. Thanks to many wonderful employees and customers over the years, the business celebrated its 50th anniversary last year.
Jim was a lifelong advocate for music education. He served on the boards of NAMM and NASMD, and was president of NASMD from 2004 to 2005. Locally, he was active on the boards of the Peoria Symphony and the Peoria Symphony Foundation, the Heartland Festival Orchestra, and the Wheels of Time Museum. He loved playing trumpet in the Peoria Area Senior Citizens band. He never said no to requests for help, and he never met a stranger.
Jim is survived by his wife Ede, daughter Beth Houlihan and her husband Jay, son Matthew Kidder, and grandchildren Maggie Ann Kidder, Jason Gaughan, Hannah DeBernardi and Robert Houlihan.
A memorial visitation will be held on Saturday, April 19, 2025, from 2 to 5 p.m., at Davison-Fulton Woolsey-Wilton Funeral Home, 2408 W. Willow Knolls Drive, Peoria, IL. There will be no formal funeral service. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests memorial contributions to the Peoria Symphony, the Penguin Project or the Central Illinois Memorial Kidney Fund. Online condolences may be shared with Jim’s family at www.Woosley-Wilton.com.
