Final Cadence Fall 2006

Thomas Baccala ’67 of Coventry, RI, died August 22 after a battle with cancer. He was 61. Baccala was a trumpeter and had been a music teacher in the North Attleboro, MA, and Westerly, RI, schools. He was also a U.S. Navy veteran who served during the Vietnam War. He leaves his mother, Rita; and daughters, Nina and Cara Baccala.

Thomas Howes ’68 of Orwell, VT, died on July 29. He was 60. Howes was a guitarist who taught at Middlebury College in Middlebury, VT. He had played with numerous bands in Boston and New York and worked frequently as a studio musician before moving to Vermont. He leaves his mother, Doris Howes; his wife, Brenda; son, Ian; and grandson, Skylar.

Ronald Segal ’69 of Peabody, MA, died at home on June 22 after an illness. He was 59. Segal studied saxophone and flute at Berklee before earning a degree in political science from the University of Miami and his juris doctorate from Franklin Pierce Law Center in Concord, NH. He was a noted criminal defense attorney for 26 years in Massachusetts and New Hampshire. He leaves his wife, Ann; three daughters; and a grandchild.

George Daudelin III ’72 of Tewksbury, MA, died July 16 at his home after a lengthy illness. He was 57. Daudelin, a drummer, was a lifelong musician who had performed on the Community Auditions television talent show during the 1960s. He was employed by General Electric Company in Lowell at the time of his passing. Daudelin leaves his wife, Ann; two stepdaughters; and three grandchildren.

James Poliquin ’72 of Portland, ME, died on September 8 after a long illness. Poliquin was a guitarist and devoted his life to music and the arts. He is survived by his parents and a brother.

Carl Westin ’73 of St. Louis, MO, died suddenly on August 26. He was 54. Westin was a guitarist and composer and had worked with bands in Minneapolis before relocating to St. Louis. At the time of his passing, he was actively writing and producing music in his home studio. He leaves his longtime companion, Marybeth Voss; his mother, Phyllis Westin; and his sisters, Barbara Felling and Diane Johnson.

Stephen Burton ’76 of Medford, MA, died on June 4. He was 54. A guitarist and saxophonist, Burton worked for Rounder Records for 20 years and was a widely regarded coach for runners. Burton leaves his companion, Nancy Given; his parents, Gordon and Elaine; and sister, Susan Burton Wright.

James C. Keys, Jr. ’85, of Stone Mountain, GA, died at his home on June 9 from injuries he sustained in a June 3 automobile accident. He was 42. Keys studied audio engineering at Berklee and played guitar, sang, and composed for bands in CA, PA, and NJ. Most recently, he was employed as a salesman for Skilet Industries in Snellville, GA. He is survived by his mother, Dr. Beverly Trosley; her husband, Michael G. McGoldrick; and his sister, Karen.

Bassist Scott Palmer ’91 of Rochester, NY, died on June 7 after a valiant battle with cancer. He was 40. Palmer had worked with the American reggae band John Brown’s Body since 2002. He toured with the band nationally and can be heard on their CD Pressure Points. He is survived by his parents and his brother.

Sandrine Pecher ’98 of Los Angeles, CA, died after a brave battle with cancer. She was 36. A filmscoring graduate, Pecher was workingwith composer Ramin Djawade on such TV series Prison Break and Threshold. She leaves behind her parents and many close friends.

Former composition professor Dana Brayton of Jamaica Plain, MA, died of a heart attack on July 3 while on a long-distance bicycle trip. He was 52. Brayton was known as a skilled teacher of music theory, ear training, and orchestration. He taught at Berklee until 1995 before being hired by the Boston Conservatory where he was employed until the time of his passing. Brayton is survived by his wife, Erin; his daughters, Austin Elizabeth and Adriane Anne; his parents, and a brother and sister.

Word also has reached us that Robert Singleton ’53 of Miami, FL, passed away earlier this year on January 21.