Final Cadence

June 1, 2003

Assistant Professor of Piano David Azarian

Hillary Rose ’55 of Needham, MA, died February 10 at Massachusetts General Hospital. He was 89. A pianist, organist, and bandleader, Rose had studied at Boston Conservatory of Music and with jazz pianist Preston Sandiford before graduating from Berklee. Rose had played in clubs throughout the Northeastern United States, Canada, and the Caribbean. During his long career, he had played with Ella Fitzgerald and Sarah Vaughan. He leaves his son Hillary Rose Jr. and daughter Debra Kirsey, 11 grandchildren, and 10 great-grandchildren.

 

John “Jack” Stevens ’61 of Newport, RI, died January 18 at Heatherwood Nursing Home. He was 62. A saxophonist, pianist, and composer, Stevens was a jazz musician who had worked with Boots Mussulli, Herb Pomeroy, Woody Herman, and in the revived Tommy Dorsey Orchestra with Frank Sinatra, and with many others throughout his career. In 1994 he contributed seven songs to the CD My Buddy by fellow saxophonist Greg Abate ’71. Stevens leaves his sister Sally T. Stevens.

 

Gary Jacober ’68 of Pawtucket, RI, died April 21 at his home. He was 51. Jacober was a vibraphone player and music teacher at Samuel Slater High School.

 

John L. Sullivan, Jr. ’68 of Quincy, MA, died at home on March 18. He was 56. A percussionist, Sullivan was active in the local drum corps as a performer, teacher, and judge and was inducted into the Massachusetts Drum Corps Hall of Fame in 2000. He is survived by his wife, Linda, daughters Eileen and Beth, and four grandchildren.

 

Robert Monaco ’71 of Lexington, MA died March 3 when the plane he was piloting crashed into a building in Leominster, MA. Monaco was 49. He had been a flight instructor and professional pilot for 25 years. After graduating from high school, Monaco studied guitar at Berklee before attending Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Florida. He leaves his parents and many relatives.

 

Timothy Eichler ’77 of Framingham died on April 22 following a lengthy illness. He was 48. He was a pianist and had played locally with the band Private Lightning. He is survived by his son Benjamin.

 

Tyler McGinnis ’78 of Portland, ME, died February 19 at home after a long battle with multiple sclerosis. McGinnis earned his degree in composition from Berklee. He leaves his wife, Paula.

 

Karl Miller ’86 of Bristol, CT, died on February 10 at Bristol Hospital. He was 39. Miller, a trumpeter, received his bachelor’s degree in music education from Berklee and his master’s at Central Connecticut State University. For 17 years Miller was a music teacher and band director at Slade Middle School in New Britain, CT. He leaves his wife, Elizabeth, sons Bruce Roys-Miller, Jessie Roys-Miller, and Michael Miller, as well as two grandchildren. Memorial donations may be made in his name to Berklee College of Music, Office of Institutional Advancement, 1140 Boylston St., Boston, MA, 02215.

 

Assistant Professor of Piano David Azarian was killed in an automobile accident on March 29. He was 51. Originally from Armenia, Azarian  came to live in America in 1989. He was a busy performer and had released several CDs. Azarian leaves his wife Vickie, daughters Christina and Nicole, and a son Dennis from a previous relationship. A fund has been set up to help support his children. Donations may be made to AMARAS Arts Alliance, Inc., for the David Azarian Family Fund, c/o Watertown Savings Bank, P.O. Box 230 Watertown, MA 02471.

 

June Clooney of Hanover, MA, died on Sunday May 18 after a brief illness. She was 42. After working for 20 years in Berklee’s Financial Aid and Comptrollers offices, she recently took a job at Suffolk Univesity. She leaves her husband John, and sons Sean and Patrick.

 

Photo Caption:

Assistant Professor of Piano David Azarian

This article appeared in our alumni magazine, Berklee Today Summer 2003. Learn more about Berklee Today.
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