Felix Wurman, 51, died on Saturday, Jan. 2, of a fast-spreading cancer. Mr. Wurman, a cellist who had lived in Oak Park for many years, was in treatment at a cancer hospital in North Carolina.
He was known and loved by members of the Symphony Orchestra of Oak Park-River Forest and played in the cello section at times.
The musical Wurman family was well known in Oak Park. Felix’s father, Hans Wurman, was an organist at Grace Lutheran Church and a pioneer in making recordings of Bach played on a Moog synthesizer. “Switched On Bach” was one title. Felix’s mother, Brenda Wurman, was a pioneer in teaching students the violin using the Suzuki method. She taught violin classes at Whittier School as an extracurricular activity for local children in the early 1970s and devoted much energy to donating instruments and lessons to poor, inner-city children in Chicago.
Felix Wurman is survived by his sister, Candida Yoshikai, who asks that memorial donations be sent directly to her for his tens of thousands in medical bills: 5608 Woodberry Road, Durham, NC 27707-5335.