William Fredrick Rieflin II

1960 - 2020

William Fredrick Rieflin II

William "Bill" Fredrick Rieflin II was born September 30, 1960. Bill passed away March 24, 2020 after an 8 year duel with cancer.

A Seattle native and lifelong resident, Bill was a world class musician who exhibited a talent and dedication to his craft that put him into a rare category. Known for much of his career as an extraordinary drummer, he performed with a wide range of artists from Swans and Ministry to REM and King Crimson, amongst others. Bill was also a composer, singer and multi-instrumentalist; at home on the guitar, bass and keyboards. He cultivated a highly sophisticated ear and was much sought after as a studio musician and producer.

King Crimson Biographer Sid Smith said it best "Bill's softly-spoken voice draped itself languorously around the words he used and any observations he offered were rooted in an exacting precision that he also applied to the act of making music which was something that bordered on the sacred for him."

Bill's refined manner, brilliant mind, eye for the ironic and his legendary sense of humor defined him as a man of discerning taste, palate and company. He fed his seemingly unending depths of cultural knowledge with accuracies about such things as the perfect pronunciations when ordering Korean food, the study of amaro, must-sees in the Cotswolds, how to make Rieflin relish, and the crime of the adverb. An avid watcher of Jeopardy, it was the rarest of occasions when Bill didn't already know the Question before the Answer had been fully read.

His process was surgical in its dissection of what made music great or tawdry. His opinions were always firm, but his mind always open to listen (and readily dismiss). His sharp wit and forthright comments were well-known, but he was also unfailingly generous, and his encouragements and kindnesses were all the sweeter for their sincerity.

Bill lost his beloved wife of 27 years, the master painter Francesca Sundsten to cancer in March 2019. Elegant souls, friends in their youth, artistic comrades in life, Frankie was the abiding center of Bill's world.

He was also predeceased by his father; Robert Rieflin who died October 2018.

He is survived by his mother; Olive Rieflin, brothers; Richard Rieflin (Katie) and Fritz Rieflin (Tracie and daughters Mayda and Alex) and sister; Tracy Rieflin (Andy Hobbs and son Arlo.)

Memorial service will be private and at the convenience of the family.

Memorial contributions may be made to Virginia Mason Palliative Care Fund, via the Virginia Mason Foundation, PO Box 1930, D1-MF, Seattle, WA 98111; (206) 583-6083 orVirginiaMasonFoundation.org