Richard C. Provost

1938 - 2022

Richard C. Provost "Dick", of Bloomfield, CT passed away peacefully in his home on May 29, 2022, surrounded by his family, after a courageous battle with brain cancer. Born on February 27, 1938, in Holyoke, MA, son of the late Leo and Bertha (Fournier) Provost, he was raised in South Hadley, MA and graduated from The University of Hartford - Hartt School of Music in 1960, with a degree in music composition. Dick spent his life sharing his passion for music and his musical talent with the world. He started his musical career when he was in middle school playing at jazz clubs and joined The Hartt School of Music in 1958 as an adjunct faculty, where he remained until he retired over sixty years later as a Professor Emeritus. In 1968, Dick founded the Guitar Program at The Hartt School of Music, which is the oldest, most developed performance-based guitar program in the country. Dick is regarded as a leading guitar pedagogue, with students that have won awards at major competitions throughout the U.S. and Europe. His contributions to the music world will live on forever. While Dick's musical talent was important to the success of his career, his genuine interest in and friendliness towards others were also important ingredients to his success. Dick's intellectual curiosity included music and extended to many other topics, which made Dick a very compelling conversationalist. There is a long list of people who called Dick a friend, and an even longer list who knew that if they wanted to find the best restaurant, they should follow Dick. After retirement, Dick poured his creative talents into his favorite hobby, photography. He joined the Simsbury Camera Club, became their Outings Coordinator and was able to participate in some wonderful adventures. Dick left behind a collection of photographs to memorialize the wonderful sights he encountered with the Club and on his travels with his wife Renee, throughout New England, NC, WV, Alaska and Iceland, which are available for your viewing pleasure at https://www.simsburycameraclub.com/author/rprovo and https://fineartamerica.com/profiles/richard-provost/shop. Dick is survived by his beloved wife of 30 years, Renee Provost, and his children, Michael Provost of Rapid City, SD, Thomas Provost and his wife Natedow, of Coventry, CT, Michelle Provost and her husband John Mahon of Coventry, CT, Alison Berryman and her husband Gray of Southern Shores, NC, Dr. Emily Worthy and her husband Jason of Southern Shores, NC, his grandchildren, Michael Provost and his wife Victoria of Enfield, CT, Harlie Provost of Coventry, CT, Billy, Adlai, Stella and Lulu Berryman of Southern Shores, NC, Olivia and Jack Worthy of Southern Shores, NC, and his great granddaughter, Isabella Provost of Enfield, CT. He also leaves behind his brother, Normand Provost and his wife Ann of Boynton Beach, FL, his sister's, Annette Schirch of Holyoke, MA and Jeannette Newton of Chicopee, MA, several nieces and nephews, and a lifetime of friends. He is predeceased by his parents and his grandson, Jacob Provost. A Celebration of Life will be held on Saturday, August 20, 2022, at 7 p.m. in Millard Auditorium at The University of Hartford, 200 Bloomfield Avenue, West Hartford, CT 06117. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to a scholarship established for aspiring professional guitarist in honor of Dick. Donations can be made through the University of Hartford, McLellan Endowment, by sending a check or money order payable to the University of Hartford, to: Rebecca Brandt, Director of Development, University of Hartford, Institutional Advancement, 200 Bloomfield Avenue, West Hartford, CT 06117, with David S. and Margaret McLellan Endowment – In honor of Richard Provost in the memo line, or via online at Hartford.edu, use the Give link, enter the amount, and under Designations, select Other, and in the field below enter David S. and Margaret McLellan Endowment as your designation, after you enter your contact information check the box In honor/memory of someone special, select Honor of Someone Special, and enter Richard Provost under Name of honoree/in memory of. Dick's family would like to extend their gratitude to the Trinity Health Care Palliative & Support Care Services team members that assisted his family in providing comfort and care to Dick during his final days.