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Raising money to end Alzheimer’s

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Carol and John Yanda first met on a blind date and have been married for 50 years. Carol was diagnosed with dementia and now resides at The Greenery in Canonsburg.

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John and Carol Yanda pose for a portrait before Carol was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s.

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John Yanda at the organ at a church in West Virginia

CANONSBURG – John Yanda said the one thing in the world that makes him “very happy” is helping somebody else, and he’s found a way to do just that through his passion for music.

The 80-year-old, who is the organist/pianist at First United Methodist Church in Canonsburg and Jefferson Avenue United Methodist Church in Washington, has compiled a CD, “A Believer in Jesus,” that the Women’s Business Network, McMurray Chapter, is selling to benefit its team in the Washington County Walk to End Alzheimer’s, which will be held Sept. 26 at Consol Energy Park in North Franklin Township.

It’s especially fitting since Yanda’s wife, Carol, was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease about three years ago. Last year, Yanda performed in concert in his wife’s honor at the Jefferson Avenue church, and the couple, who celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary in April, was featured in the Observer-Reporter’s “No Longer Me” series.

Carol has since moved from The Greenery Specialty Care Center in Canonsburg to Transitions HealthCare in Washington, and John visits her as much as possible.

“It’s hard to bring myself to visit her all the time,” he said. “I think she understands me, but I can’t understand her when she talks.”

Since his wife’s diagnosis, Yanda has missed several family functions. As a way to compensate for his absence, he made a CD with some of his favorite pieces, along with two original works, hoping it would bring as much comfort to his family as it has to him.

He also presented a copy to First United Methodist Church, where Pat Tonsetic immediately jumped at the opportunity to share the accomplished pianist’s work with others.

Tonsetic is the church’s outreach leader and a member of WBN, McMurray Chapter, so she is always looking for ways to reach – and help – others in the community. The CD, she said, is perfect for that.

“It’s very relaxing music,” Tonsetic said. “I’ve played it in my car over and over and over.”

The CD includes “Wonderful Words of Life,” “Warsaw Concerto,” “Variation 18 – Rachmaninoff,” “Dedication,” “Tea for Two (John’s Improv” and “Prelude in G Minor – Rachmaninoff.” Yanda’s two original pieces are “John’s Invention” and the “Bonus Track.”

“I was never interested in the jazzy stuff,” Yanda said.

Yanda began taking music lessons when he was 8 years old, and he would “perform” for his older brother, Dick, who was very attentive to John. Dick was his biggest musical cheerleader, and he encouraged John to continue to pursue his musical talent. Dick died at age 37, and never witnessed just how good John has become.

“He was my best friend and piano adviser,” John Yanda said. “That’s the part that’s breaking my heart. Even now, every time I think of him, my heart starts to cry.”

As Yanda’s confidence grew, he started to compose his own music. He never put musical scores on paper, playing solely by memory.

“I never did that at all,” he said. “It’s too much work. I play it three times one day, and four times the day before. If I don’t like it, I change something.”

When his wife was healthy, John would play for her often. That’s not the case anymore.

“If she ever had a favorite, she never told me,” he said. “I loved her for a long time. … I still do.”

The “A Believer in Jesus” CD by John Yanda is $10, and can be purchased by contacting Pat Tonsetic at ptonsetic@comcast.net or calling 412-310-1947. All proceeds will benefit the Alzheimer’s Association.

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