Quaker Valley High School alumni and guests will soon tee off in support of a scholarship founded in memory of a former music standout.

The inaugural Susan Harger Hartford Memorial Scholarship golf outing is scheduled for Sept. 26 at Sewickley Heights Golf Club, 126 Backbone Road.

Hartford, a 1972 graduate and salutatorian, was band president and composed “Griffle,” an upbeat tune played during the school’s halftime shows.

She graduated magna cum laude from the University of Cincinnati’s Conservatory of Music and become audio director of Productions Masters, Inc. in 1985.

Hartford wrote and produced radio and TV ads as well as jingles, and also worked in various positions for professional sports teams, major corporations and advertising firms.

The Allegheny Township resident passed away Jan. 5, 2020 at age 65 after a four-year battle with colon cancer.

“Susan was very focused,” said longtime friend and fellow 1972 grad Jean (Cowan) Kestner of Emsworth. “She was very talented. She was fun loving, but she was above all things humble.

“She received numerous awards during her career and she never ever spoke about them. We always say her career began in Quaker Valley because she actually composed a piece of music (in high school) and had it published.”

Shortly after Hartford’s passing, Kestner and classmates Hilda (Grieger) Raftery, Ann (Houston) Kelley and Susan (Riegel) Price decided to keep her musical memory alive by offering support to a Quaker Valley senior.

Students eligible for the scholarship must have been in the band, chorus or musical for three years and maintain a 3.5 GPA.

It gave out its first offering of $2,000 in June to Charlie Crane so he could further his education at the University of Pittsburgh.

“I think we all want to honor Susan’s memory in a way that she would appreciate, and we also would like students who exemplify what she stood for to be recognized,” Kestner said.

Kestner often looks back fondly on the time she and her four friends spent together growing up in the Sewickley area in the late 1960s, early ’70s.

“It was a different time, obviously,” she said. “All of us were very involved in the band, so that was like the epicenter of our world. Outside of band, we were always together. We scattered across the United States for college, but still managed to stay connected.”

The golf outing is the brainchild of classmate Rick Santry, who plans on playing with his three sons, Josh, Alex and Brendan.

“I am honored to help bring this outing together to make sure Susan’s legacy is upheld,” Santry said. “She was an exceptional person in the classroom, in the music room, and in life in general. The scholarship fund in her name for deserving QV music students is a tribute to all that Susan stood for.”

The golf outing also serves as a de facto part of the 50-year class reunion celebration.

Other activities for the Class of 1972 include a stop at Fermata Brewing Co. in Ambridge on Sept. 23, dinner at Blueberry Hill Park in Franklin Park on Sept. 24 and brunch at the golf club Sept. 25.

Those who can’t make the golf outing and want to support the scholarship fund can make checks out to Hartford Scholarship and mail them to 8195 Ohio River Blvd., Pittsburgh, PA 15202.