Final Cadence: Fall/Winter 2023

John Moriarty of Fall River, MA, died January 5, 2022. He was 91. A graduate of New England Conservatory, Moriarty formed an intensive opera training program at Boston Conservatory, where he was a faculty member. He was survived by his partner of 53 years, James T. Bynum; sisters, Frances and Helen; and several nieces and nephews.

James T. Bynum of Fall River, MA, died September 8, 2022. He was 77. Bynum worked at Boston Conservatory for many years, eventually becoming the dean of financial aid before retiring. He leaves several nieces and nephews. 

Joseph Koo ’62 of Vancouver, Canada, died January 3. He was 91. Born in China, Koo became a leading music composer during Hong Kong cinema’s golden era. His first film composition was for the movie Love Without End, which proved so successful the movie’s producer paid for Koo to study at Berklee. He received the Life Achievement Award at the Hong Kong Arts Development Awards in 2010.

Nicholas "Nicky" Hoffman Beechko ’75 of Lindenhurst, NY, died January 14. He was 69. A musician at heart, he shared his talents with high school students as a special education teacher of math, science, and music in Boston and New York for 35 years. He leaves his wife, Joanne; son, Julian; daughter, Alexandra; and brother, AJ.

Steven Eckels B.M. ’77 of Kalispell, MT, died April 3. He was 67. A teacher at Berklee from 1984 to 1985, Eckels spent the last 22 years of his career teaching guitar at Kalispell public schools. He also recorded 12 albums and authored 20 guitar textbooks. He leaves his wife, JoAnn; son, Tyler; and sister, Deanna.

Duško Gojković ’62 of Munich, Germany, died April 5. He was 91. The second recipient of Berklee’s Master of Global Jazz Award, in 2021, Gojković was a legendary jazz trumpeter, composer, and arranger. He was a major figure on the jazz scene on both sides of the Atlantic, playing and recording with Dizzy Gillespie ’71H, Stan Getz, Sonny Rollins ’03H, Chet Baker, and countless others. Though known for his melodic phrasing and high-class ballad renditions on the trumpet, Gojković played in many musical styles, from big band to bebop to Brazilian.

Sarah Bodge of Merrimac, MA, died June 21. She was 87. A graduate of Cambridge College, Bodge served as Berklee’s assistant director of Alumni Affairs throughout the 1990s. She leaves her son, Juan; daughter, Trae; sisters, Elizabeth, Gail, and Doris; brother, Hank; grandchildren; and great-grandson. 

Student Jarin Cole of Killeen, TX, died suddenly on August 2 as a result of a medical condition. He was 22. Known as JC Stringz, Cole was a guitar performance major who came to Berklee after graduating from Temple College. He leaves his parents, Darron and Tina; grandparents, Oliver and Bernice; siblings; and many others.

Corliss Lee Ching Yi B.M. ’16 of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, died August 17. She was 30. She had been a double major in music business and contemporary writing and production while at Berklee. She leaves her husband, King Fai; brother, Bevan; and many others.