Douglas P. Starr, D.M.A.

Obituary of Douglas P. Starr, D.M.A.

Douglas P. Starr, D.M.A., age 74, died peacefully at his Ross Township home on Thursday, June 18, 2026, surrounded by the love of his family.

Doug was the beloved and treasured husband of Annette Tierney for 32 years.

He was the father of Curtis (Blair) Starr, Robert Starr, Thomas Tierney Starr and Lydia Tierney Starr.

Doug is also survived by his grandchildren, Twyla, Teddy, Ginny, and Philomena.

Preceded in death by his parents, Rev. Halton Starr and Mardella Moorehouse, Doug grew up in Staunton, Virginia, developing an early appreciation for ministry and the power of sacred music, before moving with his family to Ohio at the end of high school.

Doug Starr lived a life marked by faith, music, and scholarship, pursuing his education with distinction. Earning both his bachelor’s degree and his Doctor of Musical Arts degree in vocal performance and theory/composition from Ohio State University, where he was also honored as a University Fellow. In 1983, Doug was named a Mellon Fellow at Vanderbilt University, and, in 1988, he was selected as an American Council on Education Fellow.

Doug compiled a 40-year career in sacred music, and his influence was deeply felt by congregations, students, colleagues, and audiences alike. For 30 of those years, he served St. Paul’s Episcopal Church on Washington Road in Mt. Lebanon, where his musicianship and faithful service became a treasured part of church life. He was widely acclaimed as an organ recitalist, bass soloist, voice teacher, and composer of both sacred and secular music.

In addition to church work, Doug shared his gifts in the classroom, inspiring many students at Penn State University, Westminster College, Kenyon College, and Central Michigan University. He also served as director of choral activities at Bellarmine University in Louisville, Kentucky, part of his long career devoted to shaping voices.

Among his many accomplishments, the crowning achievement of Doug’s career was the “All Saints Requiem” he completed in 2020. This composition was performed at both St. Paul’s Church in Mt. Lebanon and St. Vincent Archabbey Basilica in Latrobe, a fitting tribute to a composer whose life’s work was rooted in worship and reverence. The Requiem stands as a powerful expression of his lifelong devotion to sacred music.

Dr. Douglas P. Starr’s passing is a profound loss, but his legacy endures in the sacred spaces which he filled with music, in the classrooms where he taught, and in the hearts of all who were blessed to know him.

There will not be a visitation.

A Memorial Service will be held at St. Stephen Lutheran Church, 55 Forsythe Rd., Pittsburgh, PA 15220 on Friday, July 17, at 7 pm.

Memorial donations may be made to St. Stephen Lutheran Church.