James Alfred Rew, Jr. formerly of Onley

James Alfred Rew, Jr., 76, of Onley, VA, passed away on December 21, 2021 in Cedar Park, TX. Born on January 24, 1945 in Nassawadox, VA, Jim was the son of the late James A. Rew, Sr. and of the late Ethel Finney (Ames) Rew.

He was a graduate of Onancock High School. He attended the University of Virginia in Charlottesville, VA and graduated from Salisbury State College in Salisbury, MD.

Jim was a lifelong lover of music. In his early years, he studied classical piano in New York City and became an accomplished pianist. One of his proudest accomplishments was performing on stage with acclaimed pianist Eugene List in his touring “Monster Concert”, devoted mostly to the music of Louis Moreau Gottschalk. The “Monster Concert” featured a symphony of 10 concert pianos and ended with a rousing rendition of Gottschalk’s multipiano transcription of Rossini’s ”William Tell” Overture. In addition to his love of performing, Jim also built and managed the radio stations WEXM and WVES on Virginia’s Eastern Shore. During his retirement years in Texas, he rebuilt Steinway pianos for fun. Jim never knew a stranger and made friends from all walks of life. He was a truly talented, special person.

He is survived by his three daughters, Jennifer (Rew) McGrath of Conshohocken, PA, Dr. Suzy (Rew) Lofton Bullis of Round Rock, TX, and Hyldie (Rew) Krebs of Chesapeake, VA; his stepdaughter, Tina LeCato of Franktown, VA; three grandsons, Foster McGrath, Jackson Bullis, and Rhett Bullis; his companion, Susan Brewer, and her daughter, Aniko Brewer, and son, Tom Brewer; and his beloved dog, Scarlet.