Final Cadence

Emidio Mellone ’49 of Weymouth, MA, passed away on September 16, 2010. He was 84. An alumnus of the Schillinger House (the predecessor of Berklee), he served as a U.S. Marine and was a veteran of World War II. Mellone was a clarinet player and worked with local orchestras and bands. Mellone had retired from his job as a printer and was a Grant Knight of the Knights of Columbus in Allston and Weymouth, MA, as well as a lector at Sacred Heart Parish in Weymouth. He leaves his daughter, Patricia Narcotta, and sons, Robert and John Mellone; his sisters, Mary Flynn and Jeanne Maloof and brothers, Raymond Mellone and Reverend Vincent Mellone; seven grandchildren; and four great-grandchildren.

John Jerome Slate ’67 of Charleston, SC, died suddenly on June 27. He was 64. Slate was a professional saxophonist and music educator. After earning his bachelor’s degree at Berklee, he received his master’s degree in music education from Duquesne University. He taught public-school music in Pittsburgh, PA, and at Cornell University in Ithaca, NY. He was an active performer and recording artist until the time of his passing. He leaves his wife of 25 years, Elizabeth Howard Slate; his son, Scott Slate; his daughter, Cheryl Jones; and two grandchildren.

Robert Grant ’73 of Bethlehem Township, PA, died August 15. He was 60. Grant was a service technician for SoS Business Machines and was self-employed in many ventures. He is survived by his wife of 30 years, Patricia Kruthers; his sons, Daniel and Randy Grant; and his sisters, Terry and Laurie Goldstein.

Bobby Vince Paunetto ’73 of Bronx, NY, died unexpectedly on August 10 after a sudden illness. He was 66. Paunetto was a vibraphonist and jazz composer. During his years at Berklee, he studied vibes with Gary Burton and composition with Herb Pomeroy. During the course of his career, Paunetto released five albums and, in 1975, was nominated for a Grammy in the Latin-jazz category for his debut album, Paunetto’s Point. In 1977 Paunetto was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, but he continued to compose and record his music. His catalog included the albums Commit to Memory, Composer in Public, and Reconstituted. Paunetto featured top musicians on his recordings, including John Scofield, Abraham Laboriel Sr., Gary McFarland, Ronnie Cuber, Mongo Santamaria, Tito Puente, and Mike Richmond, among others.

Hy Lockhart ’75 of Randolph, MA, died unexpectedly on August 9. Lockhart served in the U.S. Navy and was a trumpet player for the United States Navy Band. Following his service, he studied at Berklee and New England Conservatory of Music. He was a skilled composer and arranger and a member of the Boston Jazz Society. Lockhart leaves five children: Edward Lockhart, Dr. Yvette Lockhart-Bemberry, Kenneth Lockhart, Jeffrey Lockhart, and Beverly Lockhart Hinton, as well as eight grandchildren and six great grandchildren.

Michael S. DeSimone ’80 of Roslindale, MA, passed away on August 1. He was 48. DeSimone was the owner of Parkway Music Studios of West Roxbury and leaves his parents, Rudolph and Mary DeSimone; his wife, Susan; his niece, Eva; and his nephew, John.

James Dwight Duckworth ’80 of Charlotte, NC, passed away unexpectedly on August 19. He was 57. A guitarist, Duckworth played with high-profile artists throughout his career, including Luciano Pavarotti, Michael Feinstein, Bernadette Peters, Patti LuPone, Rita Moreno, Joel Gray, Johnny Cash, Kathie Lee Gifford, Louie Bellson, and Bill Conti. He taught guitar at Davidson College, Catawba College, Central Piedmont, and Pembroke State University (now the University of North Carolina at Pembroke). He played with the Unifor Band, national touring musical-theater companies. For two decades, he also hosted the local-access cable TV show Jimmy Duckworth & Friends, which showcased local-area musicians. He is survived by his brother, Larry Duckworth; his sister, Jan Yandle; and his nephew, Chris Stegall.

Gerdie Francisco ’93 of Quezon City, Philippines, passed away on May 27 after a courageous, two-year battle with pancreatic cancer. She was 44. Francisco was an active musician and composed the score to Lastikman and served as the music director for Wala na bang pag-ibig, two movies produced in the Philippines. Francisco was also an avid photographer. She leaves one brother, Reggie Francisco.

Daniel Cho ’99 of Brooklyn, NY, accidentally drowned in Lake Geneva, Switzerland, on July 6, the day prior to his performance with Regina Spektor at the Montreux Jazz Festival. He was 33. A sought-after session and touring musician who was a cellist and keyboardist, Cho worked with numerous high-profile artists, including Coldplay, Regina Spektor, Katy Perry, and John Mayer, among others. He was also a member of the rock band Cooper, and worked as a correspondent for ESPNSoccernet to cover the Korean national team during the 2006 World Cup in Germany. He leaves his wife, Julia, and his daughter, Audrey.

Vincent Maurice “Sa” Davis of Boston, MA, passed away suddenly on August 25. An internationally renowned percussionist, Davis graduated from New England Conservatory and served on the Berklee and NEC faculties. He is survived by a sister, uncle, aunt, and many other relatives and friends.