Christine Carr McGuire, 86, of War passed away Saturday, December 12, 2009 in Roanoke Memorial Hospital, Roanoke, Va.Born November 21, 1923 in War she was the only daughter of Dr. Arthur Bryan and Annie Armstrong Carr. Christine attended schools in War and graduated from Big Creek High School in 1941. From an early age on, she was gifted in music. She attended the Cincinnati Conservatory of Music, Cincinnati, Ohio, and in her sophomore year received a scholarship in dramatics. She was a member of the Fine Arts Theatre Group in Cincinnati. In June 1943 she won the Wanda and Chalmers Clifton prize in orchestral score reading. She received her Bachelor of Music degree in piano in three years, in 1944, at the conservatory. She minored in dramatics and violin. In her junior and senior years she served as vice president of Delta Omicron, national professional musical society. She was a member of Pi Kappa Lambda, national honorary music fraternity, the student council, and was secretary/treasurer of the senior class. At graduation she was honored with membership in the Pi Chapter, Pi Kappa Lambda, an honor only granted to graduates.She studied violin and played in the Conservatory Symphony Orchestra. She studied piano with Dr. Karol Liesziewski, artist, teacher, and one of Mikuli Chopin's greatest students, and attended the University of Cincinnati.During World War II, Christine was active in the U.S.O. in the Cincinnati area. She played first violin in the Conservatory Symphony, the Bluefield and Huntington Symphony orchestra and was organist for St. Mark's Episcopal Church in War.She lived in Myrtle Beach, SC, from 1966-70, where she was a private music teacher and a public school music teacher for three years. While there, she was organist at the First United Methodist Church, played at Ocean Forest Hotel, at state conventions, and at the Myrtle Beach Civic Center.She was 1st Violinist in the Myrtle Beach Symphony, was a member of the Florence, S.C. Symphony, the Charleston, S.C., Symphony, the Bluefield, W.Va. Symphony, and was director, producer, and actress in the Myrtle Beach Legitimate Theatre for two seasons. She was an accompanist for the Myrtle Beach Choral Society under the direction of Dr. Kenneth Baldwin of London. After one concert at the Civic Center, Dr. Baldwin announced to the 1500 member audience that "Christine was the best accompanist that he had ever known."During her professional years, Christine was a teacher in McDowell County and taught at Gary High School, War Elementary and Big Creek High School. She began teaching in 1944 and retired in 1983.In McDowell County, Christine was active in many clubs and groups. She was Organist and Choir Director at the Coalwood First United Methodist Church and the First Baptist Church in Welch. She was a member and past president of the Chaminade Music Club where she started the Feast of Carols. She was an active member of the War Kiwanis Club and played piano for them for more than 40 years. She was a member and music chair of the Berwind Chapter of the Eastern Star, the McDowell Woman's Club, the War Woman's Club, Delta Kappa Gamma (Phi Chapter), and the McDowell County Association of Retired School Employees. She played the piano for many state Kiwanis and Women's Club conventions, including at the Greenbrier in White Sulfur Springs.She taught private piano and voice lessons to students in War and Welch, and was active in promoting and directing theatre productions in Welch. She was Musical Director and author of the 1958 McDowell County Centennial and also of the 1963 McDowell County, W.Va. Celebration. She was one of three co-editors of Volume I of the McDowell County Heritage Book. In addition to her parents she was preceded in death by a daughter, Barry Lee McGuire; a brother, Dr. Allen Carr; and her husband of 20 years and father of her children, John G. McGuire, Jr. She is survived by one daughter, Shannon Carr McGuire Queen and husband Joseph Michael of Birmingham, Ala.; eight grandchildren, Christian Elizabeth, Brannon and Bryan Queen, all of Birmingham, Stephanie Lyons of Princeton, David Lyons and Carrita Browning, both of Bluefield, Briana Simmons of Morgantown and Chance Williams of Pineville; 13 great-grandchildren; sister-in-law, Betty Carr of Grand Island, Fla.; and niece and nephew, Carol Ann Nestor of Welch and Arthur Carr of Franklin, Tenn.; special friends, Tom Hatcher of War and Helen Carson of Coalwood; and long time friend and caregiver, Hershel Pierce of War.Funeral service will be conducted Friday at 11 a.m. in the Emmanuel Baptist Church, War with the Rev. Spencer Oxford officiating. Burial will follow in Athens Cemetery, Athens. Friends may call at the church Thursday from 6-8 p.m.The Douglas Funeral Home of War is serving the McGuire family. Published in Bluefield Daily Telegraph on December 16, 2009