R. David Mittelstadt, passed away at the age of 82, in Florham Park, N.J., on April 6, 2013, after a brief illness.

Funeral at the Wm. A. Bradley & Son Funeral Home, 345 Main Street, Chatham, N.J., on Wednesday, April 10, from 2 to 4 p.m. and 7 to 9 p.m. Memorial services will be held on Thursday, April 11, at 10:30 a.m. at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church, 160 Ridgedale Ave., Florham Park, N.J. For more information or to send a condolence please visit bradleyfuneralhomes.com.

Dave was born in 1931 in Lincoln, Ill. He graduated from Morgan Park College in 1950, and served with the U.S. Army from 1953 to 1955. He was a top salesman with Mapes & Sprowl Steel Corp. of Union, N.J., for many years. In 1964, he joined the Butler Manufacturing Company, where he rose to the level of national accounts manager, in which capacity he served until his retirement in 1996.

Not many of us can, with our talents, bring the joy that Dave, in his many quartet and chorus roles, brought to thousands of listeners all over the U.S. and Canada. Four-part Barbershop vocal style harmony became an obsession with Dave, and it never diminished throughout the course of his life.

Dave was blessed with a strong, clear voice, and he sang with many fine quartets during his long career, including The Villageaires, The Easternaires and the Playtonics, which attained silver medal status in the prestigious Barbershop Harmony International Quartet competition in 1956. He also sang with the Main Street Four, Showtime, The New Harmony Delegation, Sage, The Travelaires, The Notewits, Mint Condition, and finally, The Four Old Parts.

He also sang and acted in many shows with the Montclair Operetta club.

Dave was an accomplished Barbershop chorus director who led the Livingston, N.J., Dapper Dans Of Harmony to two International championships and many Mid-Atlantic District level titles. He was inducted into the Harmony Society's prestigious hall of honor, and was a longtime honoree in two honor chapters, DELASUSQUEHUDMAC and Sage Lake, Michigan.

His remarkable list of musical achievements are too many to mention here.

He leaves behind his beloved wife of 60 years, Arlene (Haines) Mittelstadt; a son, Joseph Haines Mittelstadt of Basking Ridge, N.J., and literally thousands of dear friends, admirers, and fellow Barbershop harmony devotees. He was predeceased by his daughter, Gail Ann Lyman. In lieu of flowers, donations in Dave's name may be made to either the Barbershop Harmony Foundation, 110 Seventh Ave, Nashville, Tenn. 37203, or to the Florham Park First Aid Squad, 60 Felch Road, Florham Park, N.J. 07932.