Herb Wong, the founding father of the pioneering jazz program at Berkeley’s schools, died on Sunday April 20, 2014. He was 88.
In an obituary published today on Berkeleyside, Sarah Cline, Jazz Program Director at Berkeley High School, remembers the visionary principal of Washington Elementary School who believed in jazz education for young children — as music education, as a part of the civil rights movement, and as a way of propagating a democratic and artistic spirit — and who brought famous jazz musicians, including Duke Ellington and Oscar Peterson, to give concerts at the school.
Feel free to share your messages of condolence and/or memories of Herb Wong in the comments on the Obituaries page, where you will also find details of a memorial service.
Berkeleyside is always honored to publish, at no cost, obituaries of members of the Berkeley community. Please email text and photo(s) to editors@berkeleyside.com.
