John Meredith Swackhamer

John Meredith Swackhamer Composer and senior lecturer of music at UC Berkeley from 1956 to 1991, died Sept. 18, 2006 at his home in Orinda. Born January 16, 1923 in Middletown, NJ, to Ruth and Egbert Swackhamer, he survived his brothers James and Egbert, and his first wife Eleanor. He studied at Black Mountain College in North Carolina from 1938 to 1943, and served as a US Army medic in the Colorado ski troops during WWII. From 1946 to 1949, he attended New School for Social Research in New York City and studied music composition with Ernst Krenek and Roger Sessions. His love of music, impassioned teaching style and dedication to his profession inspired and motivated his students. Throughout his teaching career and into retirement, he was active in the Bay Area new music and arts community. He served as a board member and chairman of the East Bay Center for the Performing Arts, composed music for many theater productions at Berkeley Repertory Theater and ACT, and contributed his efforts and talents to productions by Actor's Ensemble and Berkeley Stage Company. He was one of the founding directors of Earplay, the San Francisco based consortium of contemporary composers and performers, and also a member of the American Composer's Forum. His music has been performed and enjoyed in the Bay Area and throughout the United States. In the 80's he helped organize benefit concerts for Musicians Against Nuclear Arms. He was also actively involved in his children's lives as a volunteer in East Bay and Orinda schools, 4-H Clubs, Junior Rangers, and Cub Scouts. In retirement, he served as president of the Contra Costa County Gray Panthers. He is loved and greatly missed by his wife of 44 years, Kathryn Trask Swackhamer, and children, Bert, Annette, Jason, Aina, Vija, Gregors, and Eva, in addition to seven grandchildren and three great-grandchildren. Private services will be held this week. A public celebration of his life will be held in November, on a date to be announced.