| Dear fellow Local 14 members: It is with great sadness that I write to inform you of the passing of longtime member Richard O’Neil over the weekend. In addition to being a terrific bassist, Richard is the father of Local 14 cellist Andre O’Neil.The family will be planning a memorial service sometime this spring. I’ll keep you informed as I receive information. On a personal note, I was fortunate to play in several ensembles with Richard through the years, and he was always friendly, a terrific player, and always the smartest guy in the room. When I became president, I consulted with Richard on the best way to run meetings, because I was sure he knew Roberts Rules of Order, and had been involved with many meetings throughout the years. He was very encouraging, and supported me to throw “the rules” out the window and be myself. He will be missed. In solidarity, John Van Voris President of our Albany Musicians’ Association Local 14 – American Federation of Musicians 4th VP, Eastern Conference of Musicians |