Bulber, 91-year-old Villa Maria Resident, Publishes Memoir

Longtime McNeese State University music instructor and legend, Patricia Bulber, is living proof that one is never too old to give something back to God’s creation with the talents He has graciously given.

 

Bulber, 91, recently signed copies of her memoir, “From East to West: My Journey.” The signing took place at Villa Maria Retirement Center where she has been residing since April 2018. Bulber is the widow of the late Dr. Francis G. Bulber, after whom the Bulber Auditorium at McNeese is named. Patricia Bulber and her family have shaped the very culture of music at McNeese and in the wider Lake Charles area.

 

The book is a personally written account of Mary Patricia Cavell Bulber’s experiences, from her birth in New Orleans in 1930, attending school during tumultuous war times, and her legacy as part of the early faculty of McNeese State University and the Music Department. 

 

Bulber said her inspiration for writing the memoir grew from encouragement she received from a friend while reminiscing.

 

“It’s really a book of my memories. I came to Lake Charles in 1954 and taught music for 48 years at McNeese,” said Bulber. “A lot of the stories in the book are memories about work and activities.”

 

The youngest of Bulber’s three children, Colette Tanner, who assisted during the book signing, said her mother is a wonderful storyteller.

 

“Mom is hilarious and has hundreds and hundreds of stories to share. She always taught us to teach by storytelling because then people can associate with it,” said Tanner. “She was surprised to learn people would enjoy reading stories from the earlier part of her life. Originally, she only wanted to write about her years at McNeese.”

 

Several of her former students attended the event at Villa Maria, among them Dr. Daryl Burckel, president of McNeese. In her book, Bulber recalls Burckel, as a freshman at McNeese, asking her if he could study piano. He had been recruited to MSU on a football scholarship. By the end of his first semester, Burckel was able to perform works by Beethoven. Bulber said he now sits in the grandest chair of all, the “President’s Chair.”

 

One of the final chapters in the book includes honors and awards of not only Bulber but also those of her family. Bulber recalls the first award she ever received was at a music festival in New Orleans when she was a student at Holy Angels Academy. The award was presented to her by Bing Crosby and Bob Hope during a bond rally during World War II. But her most prized honor was being awarded Professor Emeritus by McNeese State University. An entrance into the music building has been named “The Mary Patricia Cavell Bulber” Entrance. “Wow! I finally made it! It only took me forty-eight years!” she writes in the book.

 

Bulber said her soul is blessed to have been able to enjoy the growth of McNeese and had the chance to meet many of her past students, their families, children, and grandchildren. One of the book’s chapters includes alumni recollections by Harcourt Stebbins, Marcia Feldes Dutton, Jo Ann Turner, Vic and Constance Darbonne, and Sue Oakley Zimmerman to name a few.

 

Bulber’s memoir is like music to your ears as she begins the book with an Overture, concludes with a Coda, and shares stories at just the right Tempo. Even the cover photo is a nod to her first piano recital in Room 206 once she became a faculty member at McNeese. She was 25 years old at the time. Now, a Yamaha Grand Piano sits in the dining room of Villa Maria Retirement Center where Bulber can play, practice, or simply enjoy.

 

“From East to West: My Journey,” by Mary Patricia Cavell Bulber, is a 118-page hardcover book published by Wise Publications. The book costs $30 and is available at www.wisepublications.biz. For more information, please call 337-527-8308 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..