Final cadence
Stephen J. Bauer ’79, formerly of Peapack-Gladstone, NJ, died in Jakarta, Indonesia, on July 6, 2011. He was 59. At Berklee, Bauer majored in piano and produced the album Living Dreams. Enjoying a varied career, he worked as an assistant manager at Dynamic Business College in Tokyo, and in America as a music teacher and an educator for disadvantaged youth. He returned to Asia, where he man- aged eight Tutor Time schools in Hong Kong, China, and Jakarta, Indonesia. Bauer is survived by his former wife, Rumi Sango Bauer; his parents; and three brothers.
Samuel Fankhauser ’97 of Norwich, CT, passed away on June 8. He was 35. Fankhauser, a guitarist, pursued a dual major in performance and music education at Berklee. Due to health problems, he was not able to complete his degree. He leaves his mother and two sisters.
David “Sam” Gauthier ’79 of Minneapolis, MN, passed away unexpectedly in February 2012. He was 54. An electric violinist, guitar- ist, and singer/songwriter, Gauthier played with the progressive rock band North in the Minneapolis–St. Paul area. He was also a member of IATSE Stagehands Local # 13. He is survived by a brother and sister.
Ben Haines ’83 died on March 30. He was 53. Haines was a gifted musician and teacher and spent the last portion of his life teaching in Thailand.
John Dennis Hopkins ’91, of Sedalia, MO, passed away on March 13. He was 55. Since graduating from Berklee, Hopkins taught guitar, bass, mando- lin, banjo, and violin, and tutored more than 40 students. He was also active in community theater and played in a jazz group.
Frank Jolliffe ’77, of Paterson, NJ, died on February 8. He was 53. Jolliffe specialized in “touch style” instruments such as the Warr Guitar and Chapman Stick. He performed at clubs in New York and music festivals in Europe, and taught at the National Guitar Workshop and elsewhere. He had worked as a librarian at Bank Street College, South Orange Public Library, and the Center for Jazz Studies at Columbia University.
Steve Kaufman of Boston, MA, a former faculty member, passed away on December 14. He was 68. In addition to teaching at Berklee, Kaufman taught at the University of Massachusetts, Boston, and at Minneapolis Community and Technical College.
Mirek Kocandrle ’80 of Northborough, MA, an associate professor in the Contemporary Writing and Production Department, died on April 9 after a brief battle with cancer. He was 61. Born in the Czech Republic, Kocandrle played trumpet and bass. He played bass in big bands led by fellow faculty members Phil Wilson and Wayne Naus and with other Boston-based jazz groups. He also backed such pop artists as Roy Orbison, the Drifters, the Bee Gees, Mary Wells, and the local group Jordan Valentine & the Sunday Saints. During his three decades as a Berklee faculty member, he mentored thousands of students and directed the annual Pop/Rock Live! concerts in the Berklee Performance Center. He leaves his wife, Nancy; son, Rudy, and daughter, Emily.
Kevan Komata ’72 of San Diego, CA, died in October. He was 59. Originally from Yokohama, Japan, Komata gradu- ated from the University of California, San Diego, and later attended Berklee. He was an accomplished guitarist, tennis player, and black belt martial artist.
Robert Lalonde ’66, of Lowell, MA, died on October 21. He was 67. A saxo- phonist, Lalonde played with a variety of bands throughout the years. In addition to his musical career, he worked for Wang Laboratories and Federal Express. He leaves his father, Alfred Lalonde; son, Robert Lalonde Jr., and sister, Dorothy Kaknes.
John McGann ’81, a professor in the String Department, passed away suddenly from a kidney ailment on April 5. He was 52. McGann taught mandolin and guitar and was a member of the American Roots Music Program advisory committee at Berklee. He was a gifted multi-instrumentalist and fluent in a variety of musical genres, including bluegrass, gypsy jazz, classical, Celtic, and American folk music. McGann was named as the U.S. national mandolin champion in 1986 at the Walnut Valley Mandolin Championship in Winfield, Kansas. He became a much sought-after international performer who played with Sam Bush, David Grisman, and Darol Anger, among others. He was also featured with the Boston Pops, the Utah Symphony, and other orchestras. He was a member of the Wayfaring Strangers, Rust Farm, Classical Tangent, and other groups. McGann leaves his wife, Sharon, and daughter, Hannah.
Christine Marie “Krissy” Schwartz ’99, of Caroga Lake, NY, died on December 9, 2011 at her home. She was 32. Schwartz attended Berklee for a year before transferring to the University of New Hampshire, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in sociology and political science. She performed with various marching bands and choirs around the Northeast. When she was diagnosed with a brain tumor, Schwartz was teaching English as a second language in Taipei, Taiwan. She is survived by her parents, Major John C. and Jeanine White Schwartz; sister, Virginia Schwartz; and brothers, John Schwartz II and Daniel Schwartz.
Stephen Swanson ’63 of Smyrna, GA, died on April 16. He was 74. After attending Berklee, he composed and arranged music for various r&b groups during the 1960s and 1970s. Swanson also worked as a member of the IT department at the Home Depot Support Center in Atlanta, GA, and was a tournament chess player. He is survived by his wife, Bea Swanson.