Final Cadence

June 1, 2013

Joseph Ralph Aromando ’52 of Worcester, MA, died on March 16, 2013. He served in the U.S. Army in Saipan, Guam, and Utah, and attended Berklee with the support of the GI Bill®. Aromando is survived by his wife, Julia, and sons, Joseph and Paul. 

Peter L. Bover ’74 of Vernon, VT, died on February 8 after a battle with cancer. He was 61. A multi-instrumentalist, Bover played with Steven Tyler (pre-Aerosmith), Sugarcane, and Albert Crabtree. He leaves his son, Jacob Bover; three sisters; and three brothers, Charles, Raymond, and Douglas.

Joyce Hubbard Carpenter ’53 of Hendersonville, NC, died on January 20. She was 84. Carpenter was a pianist, composer, and teacher as well as a member of the founding board of the Hendersonville Symphony Orchestra. She is survived by her children, Ronald, Donald, and Claire.

Kenneth Raymond Fennell ’90 of Bethesda, MD, died on December 24, 2012. He was 52. During the 1980s, Fennell was a member of the United States Navy Band. He later ran his own recording studio, Kenfen Productions. He is survived by his wife, Bridgit, and children, John, Christian, and Emily.

Luke Finn ’12 of Granada Hills, CA, passed away on January 24. He was 25. Finn was a guitarist who combined jazz, classical, and other styles. He also played violin, mandolin, cello, and bass. He also built guitars.

After winning his battle with throat cancer, Richard Murphy ’83 of Deep Cove, North Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, passed away on February 27 of heart-related problems. He is survived by his wife, Lynne.

Scott Pierce Nau ’02 died on January 27. He was 34. Originally from Framingham, MA, Nau moved to San Francisco several years ago. He is survived by his wife, Kerri; parents, Kathy and Richard; brother, Michael; and sister-in-law, Erin.

Former Berklee trustee Phil Ramone died on March 30. He was 79. During his long career as an engineer and producer, Ramone worked with such musicians as Paul Simon, Frank Sinatra, Barbra Streisand, Billy Joel, Elton John, Quincy Jones, and many others. The winner of 14 Grammys, Ramone founded A&R Recordings in New York in 1958. He was heralded for his technological contributions to the field and the ability to elicit remarkable performances from artists. In addition to his work on hundreds of albums, Ramone’s credits include Broadway shows (Chicago and The Wiz), film (Flashdance, Ghostbusters, and Midnight Cowboy), and many television specials. He was also a board member of the Grammy Museum and the Recording Academy, and produced Berklee’s 60th Anniversary Concert in 2006.

Keyboardist and composer John Seppala ’83 of Walnut Creek, CA, died on January 15 after suffering a stroke and a heart attack while returning from a gig. He was 51. Seppala worked with many greats, including Arif Mardin, Chaka Khan, Snoop Dogg, and Peppino D’Agostino. He is survived by his mother, Wilma, and brothers, Karl and Eric.

Lori Starr ’76 of Stoneham, MA, lost her fight with cancer on March 19. She was 58. A pianist, vocalist, composer, and teacher, Starr played professionally with her husband, Les Fish ’76. In addition to her husband, Starr is survived by her son, Lee Fish ’05.

Reid Gilles Winpenny ’00 of Pawlet, VT, died on March 30. He was 30. Winpenny was a pianist and composer, with many other talents and interests. He is survived by his mother, Patty, and two brothers, Tristan and Patrick.

Seth Danielson Zaiser ’11 of Mechanicsburg, PA, died on February 23. He was 22. Zaiser was an active music producer and vocalist, but was also interested in motorcycle mechanics and cooking. He is survived by his parents, George and Pamela.

This article appeared in our alumni magazine, Berklee Today Summer 2013. Learn more about Berklee Today.
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