A lasting legacy — that’s what June Syvrud left after living a life full of music, passion and love.

To honor her dedication to teaching and performing music, the annual June Syvrud Music Scholarship was formed and earlier this month Polson High School choir student Halie Smith became the first-ever recipient of the award.

After June passed in 2018, the Syvrud family along with some of June’s close friends wanted an ongoing way to honor her life and dedication to teaching music. Thus the idea for an annual music scholarship was born on the same day they laid June to peacefully rest.

“We decided that her legacy was too great to be forgotten,” said Neal Lewing, a close friend of the Syvruds and managing director, alongside his wife Karen, of the Port Polson Players Theatre. The Lewings became close with June after she starred as the leading vocalist in many of their shows over the years and were integral in forming the scholarship.

June’s husband Bob Syvrud describes June as “easy to love, that was her nature.” He said many of her students still remember her fondly and have lasting memories of the love and encouragement she showed while teaching music in the Polson School District for nearly 20 years.

June formed a connection with music at an early age and it became an integral part of her life. In high school she participated in both band and choir, and she became student director of the choir. She moved to Polson in 1973 and began teaching shortly after.

Bob explained that in addition to her inspiring music program within the Polson schools, she was also a performer at heart. She starred in several theatrical productions, including playing Mother Superior in both Port Polson Players productions of the Sound of Music. And also, one of Bob’s favorites, played the lead in “Hello, Dolly!,” in which he will never forget her singing the popular song, “Climb Every Mountain.”

“Her spirit and talent was always such a great asset,” Neal Lewing added.

June performed as a vocalist, but also as a pianist and saxophone player. Her talents brought joy to many in the Mission Valley community, but her greatest achievement was her success as a music educator, according to those closest to her.

“She encouraged and supported a love of music,” Bob said. “She just brightened the lives of so many kids.”

As the Lewings and Syvrud family began the initial steps to forming the scholarship in June’s name, they began with creating a scholarship committee. This group was composed of the Lewings, Bob Syvrud, Lee Christensen (former Polson Schools Superintendent), Bob Mazurka (former Polson band instructor) and John Mercer (attorney). The committee formed the paperwork and criteria, then chose the Greater Polson Community Foundation to administer the funds.

Once all of the preliminary leg work was set, last spring the Polson Port Players hosted a scholarship kickoff performance, which featured performances and a remembrance of memories from several of her former students. Karen Lewing directed the show in which 12 performers sang songs from the various shows June starred in and the performance ended with a video of June singing, which Neal said everyone sang along with.

“Not a dry eye in the house,” he recalled.

The requirements for the scholarship, which is funded mostly by the Syvrud family with additional community donations, include a general questionnaire, letters of recommendation and then the student applying must also perform a two-part audition and interview before a selection committee. The scholarship was designed for Polson High School music students who are planning a career in music, which could include either vocal or instrumental careers with a focus on either performance or education. This requirement honors June’s dedication to teaching music in Polson schools.

As the committee prepared to grant the first-ever scholarship in June’s name, a large applicant pool turned out for the opportunity, but a Polson High School chorist stood out in particular.

“All applicants were indeed worthy candidates, but Halie Smith was the one whose goals, plans, talents, passion for music and personality Bob Syvrud felt best exemplified June’s own gifts,” Neal said.

Smith was shocked to find out she was awarded this significant scholarship, she said there was tough competition and knowing who she competed against made the award mean even more.

Four years ago Smith began singing in the Polson High School choir, but said she’s been singing in the shower since she was a little girl. Smith enjoys music because of the culture behind the compositions and the ability it has to take you to different worlds even for just one song.

“In one concert we can have anything from African music to classical to contemporary,” Smith said. “You can go anywhere through music and you can do that all in one concert which is really cool.”

The senior who recently graduated is reserved until she gets to know a person, but opens up once she is comfortable with someone. She enjoys speech and debate, and is not afraid to voice her opinion once she knows both sides of an issue. Also she loves taking care of the animals on her family’s property, and played volleyball and softball throughout high school.

In fact prior to high school, Smith said sports were her main focus and she loved spending her time playing them. Unfortunately she injured her ankle playing softball freshman year which took her out of athletic endeavors for a year. During this time she had to find something besides sports to turn her passion toward, and she turned to music. During that injury she began taking choir seriously, and it turned into a love she plans to keep for a lifetime.

“The reason why I’m passionate about music is because it kind of helped me through having a broken ankle since I was taken away from everything that I kind of knew,” Smith said. “Music’s always there to help support you, no matter what you’re doing no matter what you’re going through… It’s something that everyone can connect with.”

Smith is heading to Montana State University in the fall and plans to double major in music education and microbiology. She also has the desire to sing in the choir at MSU. Because of these plans she met the basic requirements for the scholarship, but during her audition she also discovered a connection she had to June Syvrud, a person she has never met.

“(June) embodied what my ideals toward music are… She was a music teacher and she didn’t do it for anything other than the ability to help the kids learn music and get that passion that she had,” Smith said. “And that’s something that I want to do, that’s why I’m doing music education and it just kind of connects me to her on a different level because I didn’t actually know her.”

As Smith heads to college and fulfills her own post-secondary education goals, the scholarship committee is also fulfilling their purpose of creating a way for June to live on through future generations. And the spirit of June’s passion for music education will likely stay with Smith for many years to come.

Reporter Whitney England may be reached at 758-4419 or wengland@dailyinterlake.com