Eddie Betros, CFJS President. Eddie was born in Great Barrington, Massachusetts in 1935, the youngest of five children. He says “It’s been said [by whom, we might ask] that the town was called Barrington, but when I was born they changed it to Great Barrington.”

While attending high school, Eddie sang in church, and performed with minstrel shows and musical productions such as “Oklahoma.” While attending college in Providence, Rhode Island—where he earned his Bachelors and Masters degrees in business administration—he was vice president of student government and president of Phi Sigma Nu fraternity. During this time he developed a group of singers, dancers and musicians called Eddie’s Bandwagon. They performed at nursing homes and in high schools.

After college he continued performing in plays and musicals. He became enamored with jazz after trips to New York City, where he attended the Metropole. He says he was hooked on jazz when he heard the likes of Sol Yaged, Cozy Cole, Dave Brubeck, Charley Parker, etc.

After moving to Florida, Eddie joined the Syrian/Lebanese-American Club (SLAC) of Orlando, becoming its president, and SLAC of Florida (these organizations raise scholarship funds). He also became involved with the St. Jude’s Benefits for the St. Jude Research Hospital in Tennessee.

Eddie has three married children: Bob lives in San Diego; Ed is in Colorado and Sherri is in Orlando and has four children. All his children play musical instruments.

Eddie was one of the founding members of the Central Florida Jazz Society, having served on the board several years prior to becoming its president.

Sonja Marchesano, CFJS 2^nd Vice President. Sonja is a Holocaust survivor, having escaped with her family to England from Nazi Germany in 1939. She grew up in London during the war; although England was very good to her, she always dreamed of coming to the United States. In 1956 that dream came true when she moved to the United States with her husband, an Air Force officer. As an Officer’s wife, Sonja served on the board of the Officer’s Wives Club. She was also a Grey Lady at the Orlando Base Air Force Hospital. She became a widow with two young children in 1963.

When she became an American Citizen, she decided that she wanted to give back to the community she now called home and became involved with many organizations with her children, including the PTA, the Little League, golf associations, etc. While working as marketing director at the Winter Park Mall she was on the Winter Park Chamber of Commerce as vice chairman of the better business committee and a member of the retail affairs committee. She also was also on several committees of the Orlando Chamber of Commerce, including the urban affairs committee, the public relations committee and the tourism and convention committee. She was a member of  B’nai B’rith Women of Orlando and president of Congregation Ohev Shalom Sisterhood as well as a board member of the Muscular Dystrophy Association. She also has been a member of the Symphony Women’s League, where she production chairman for one of the Springs Concerts. She was a member of the 2000 Plus Committee for the Cancer Association and FLAIR (Florida Leaders in Cancer Research).

In 1997 when that organization disbanded she was asked to join Coeur de Coeur, which later became Femmes de Coeur. Femmes de Coeur is the organization that really fulfilled her dream to give back to the local community. She has served on many committees and became an executive officer, serving as corresponding secretary, recording secretary, 2^nd vice president, 1^st. vice president and president in 2005.

Sonja joined the Central Florida Jazz Society in its very early years and has been active on the board for many years.

Connie Zabukovec, Recording Secretary

Jean Fuqua, Treasurer

Louis Shader, Assistant Treasurer

Robert Esterberg, CFJS Immediate Past President, says “Music has been an important part of my life and I would feel lost without it.”

Bob is a retired civil engineer from Maine who has been playing drums for more than 60 years; he currently is the drummer for the Deltonans as well as several small groups. Over the years he’s played at all kinds of venues: everything from dog acts and strippers to Broadway style shows, and as backup for singers and dancers. In fact, he can't count the number of clubs, restaurants, private parties and dances for which he’s played.

He was president of the jazz society from 2002-2005, and vice president from 1998-2001. Prior to that he was on the board of directors.

Bob reports that he has been happily married to his wife Carol for 58 years.

Rick Gardner

Barbara Gold

Howard Gold

She arrived in Central Florida in 1997 and discovered "real jazz" on 89.9 a few years later through a friend. She is passionate about attending little theatre group productions and is a season ticket holder to the Helen Stairs Theatre and the Ice House Theatre. She regularly attends productions at Theatre Downtown, The Sands Theatre in Deland and The Shoestring Theatre in Lake Helen and the Osceola Center for the Arts in Kissimmee.

Lynda is a cat lover, having four rescued cats in residence: Floyd, BamBam, Harley and Queenie. She is a member of and volunteer for the Orlando SPCA Sanford location, a member of the Volusia Music Club, a member of WUCF 89.9 FM and a member of WMFE 90.7 FM. She also supports Meals on Wheels and Safe House of Seminole.

One of her current employment functions is working as a national calendar of events editor for AAA. She compiles the weekly WUCF Jazz Calendar, is the editor of Blue Notes and writes several Blue Notes columns, including (often with Marge Ann Coxey) "Gettin' Around" and is the CFJS Web site's liaison person.

Prior to returning East, she owned a 3-location secretarial service in Reno for 12 years. Lynda joined the jazz society in 2005 and was elected to the board in 2006.

Moe Lowe, CFJS Music Director, has an extensive music background, including holding a BME degree with a trombone major.

He has performed as a musician for such groups as the Ralph Flannagan Orchestra; the Vaughn Monroe Band, Henry Mancini, Johnny Mathis and the Sonny and Cher shows. He also played at Disney’s Top of the World where he played for Mel Torme and Patti Page, among others.

He currently is an arranger for the Florida Symphony Orchestra, and performs with the Jazz Repertory Orchestra and P.J. Leary at the Villages in Lady Lake.

In recognition of his continued, longstanding contributions to the Central Florida Jazz Society and to the Central Florida jazz community, the Board of Directors granted a Lifetime Membership in the Central Florida Jazz Society to Moe in 2006.

Moe has been married 48 years, has four children and six grandchildren.

Armand Marchesano, leader of the Orlando Society Orchestra, started his musical training at age seven. By age nine, he was playing cornet with organized semi-professional "Italian Bands" in his hometown of Cleveland, Ohio. These were bands playing classical type arrangements as played in Italy. While still in high school he played trumpet professionally in hotels and night clubs with dance and jazz bands in the northern Ohio area. He later toured with such traveling orchestras as Russ Carlisle, Bob Alexander, Vic Stuart and others.

In 1961 he moved to Orlando, where he became active in the music scene; in 1984 he formed the Orlando Society Orchestra, the one orchestra playing music in the style of the society orchestras of the 40's and 50's. The Orlando Society Orchestra ranged in size from four to 14 musicians and is comprised of some the top Orlando area musicians, most of whom also played with name bands and play professionally in the Orlando area hotels and attractions. For several years the Orlando Society Orchestra played for many of Central Florida social events and charity balls. For the past 11years Armand has played music for dancing at the Beardall Center every Saturday night. 

Armand is married to Sonja Marchesano; between them they have five children and many grandchildren. He and Sonja joined the Central Florida Jazz Society many years ago--when the meetings were held at Church Street Station.

Delores Neville

John Neville

Nanci Neville, CFJS Parliamentarian.

Tim Norton

Sue Ryerson. This Hoosier has loved big-band jazz music since her high school graduation dance featured none other than Count Basie!

She’s a musician only by way of years of piano study years ago. That gave her a love of music--all kinds, from classical to Broadway to Dixieland. Now, a day without music is, well, not a very good day. One of her three children became a trombonist and was, for several years, a middle school band director. Guess who fitted his horn and provided the first few years of lessons: Moe Lowe, of CFJS fame. 

Recently retired from the funeral industry, Sue is still active in two organizations dear to her heart: Community Care for the Elderly, and the Partnership to Improve End-of-Life Care. 

Regarding CFJS, Sue says, "It's great to be among people who are so knowledgeable, enthusiastic and dedicated to spreading the sound."