Jazz Night School lost our dear friend, fellow musician, and board member Bill Berry, March 31st, 2023 after a short illness.

Bill made so many contributions to Jazz Night School – as an accomplished bassist in his ensembles; as Jazz Night School board vice president; as a trusted leadership advisor; and as a calm, smiling friend. Bill had also drawn on his decades of experience in finance and investment banking to provide Jazz Night School with crucial guidance on our Permanent Home Project.

Jazz wasn’t just a hobby for Bill; it was more like a religion. His personal blog and podcast – JazzChurch – live on. “Bill left an imprint of joy and celebration everywhere that he went. I believe that he felt most alive when playing and sharing music,” one of his many friends offered. “I’m so grateful that he found Jazz Night School. He spoke often of how much it meant to him to connect with the community.” 

Bill, we thank you for everything you gave to all of us, including this piece of advice: “Go to that jam session, because you never know when the next opportunity to play music with others will come around again.” Bill’s final performance with Jazz Night School was March 18th, 2023 at The Royal Room with the Jay Thomas combo, and he sounded great!

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The Bill Berry Tuition Support Fund

Honoring Bill’s passion for jazz and uplifting others, his family and friends have created a tuition support fund for bass students at Jazz Night School and invite the community to take part through contributions. The formation of this fund owes special thanks to Bill's peers at the American Leadership Forum (ALF).

Bill joined ALF in 2019, where he met a talented group of business, civic, and philanthropic leaders, and together they helped one another build a stronger, more diverse Tacoma/Pierce County community.  Bill’s contributions to the group’s culture and impact were so significant that the group honored Bill by selecting him as the keynote speaker for their graduating class. Here’s an excerpt from his speech (you can read the entirety here):

I don’t know how it is for you, but I’ve traveled through life blissfully unaware. I do things. Have ideas. Interact. Live. Work. Love.

I imagine I’m a boat traveling through water. As I move about, I leave a wake behind me. It gets longer and longer, stretching out wider and wider until it disappears. And I’m now miles ahead on my journey.

I leave a wake, and it touches those in its path. Sometimes positively, sometimes not. But I’m miles ahead and have no idea. I don’t see the impact the wake is having, the impact I’m causing. - Bill Berry

That’s him, that’s Bill.

In addition to ALF, Bill was a dedicated community leader and former Board Chair of United Way of Pierce County. He brought a deep commitment to civic engagement and a strong strategic vision that helped advance their work to support families and children across the region. Joining the Board in 2013, Bill served as Board Chair from 2018 to 2020, leading the development of United Way’s strategic plan, which laid the foundation for its bold goal to lift 15,000 households out of poverty by 2028.

While his career was spent in finance, from New York to San Francisco and finally Tacoma, his passion was helping the people and communities around him. A seismic upgrade of a water system serving 2.4 million people. A debt restructure to reduce customer rate increases. The introduction of Outward Mindset, a practice that helps individuals and organizations shift focus toward the needs and challenges of others. Some may not have understood his enthusiasm for such things, since he was the “finance” person, but collaborating with others to improve the community around him was vital to Bill. Community was vital.

Jazz was a central force in Bill’s life. While he didn’t pick up a bass until he was 34, he fell in love with the art form when he was young. He grew up with it and gained a seemingly encyclopedic knowledge of its history and musicians. Soon after he started to learn bass, he became interested in playing with others. He did so in the Bay Area, and after moving to Tacoma, he was excited to find Jazz Night School, where he played in several combos over the years. His love of music contributed to his empathy for others and his passion for community. With jazz, everyone gets a solo, and no one plays alone.

Please consider donating to this tuition fund. Your donation will enable aspiring bassists to learn and perform in the Jazz Night School community that Bill loved.

Employer Matching Gifts: If you work for a company that matches charitable gifts to nonprofit organizations, your donation may be doubled or even tripled by your employer. Retirees and relatives may also be eligible. For more information, please contact your human resources department, or contact us at fundraising@jazznightschool.org.

If you would like to donate by check, please designate "Bill Berry Tuition Support Fund" and mail to: Jazz Night School, 5415 Rainier Avenue South, Seattle, WA 98118.