The Boston Globe from Boston, Massachusetts • 20

A20 Boston Sunday Globe JULY 27, 2008 Obituaries Johnny Griffin, 80; Chicago jazz saxophonist lived in Europe VAN MAGNESS, Robert of Alabama, formerly of Med ford. July 22nd, 2008 at the age of 52 Father of Richard R. Van Magness of Woburn. Brother of Frederick Van Magness of Reading. Former husband of Kathryn J.

Bombino of Bil-terica. Grandfather of Ryan J. and Makayla van Magness of Woburn. Robert also (eaves his close friend Mary Miller of Opelika. AL.

Son of the late B. Frederick and late A. Lucille (Snow) Van Mag-ness. Visitation will be held on Monday, July 28th from at the Douglass, Edgerley Bessom Funeral Home. 25 Sanborn St.

(Corner of Woburn St.) Reading, MA. Burial is private at the request of the family, in lieu of flowers, pfease make donations in Robert's memory to the Children's Hospital Trust co Ophthalmology Program, 1 Autumn 731 Boston. MA 02215-S3O1. Please include a note indicating donation is made in memory of Robert Van Magness. For info, register book, and directions johnbdouglassfuneralhome.com '-T m.

err --imii i ta5; 1 WhVa.Maar 3 r-r I lli i I Ml-. -1 i aw nrz: iK'i i -r- Art I 1 I ByBenRatliff NEW YORK TIMES NEWS SERVICE Johnny Griffin, a tenor saxophonist from Chicago whose speed, control, and harmonic acuity made him one of the most talented American jazz musicians of his generation yet who spent most his career in Europe, died Friday at his home in Availles-Limou-zine, a village in France. He was 80 and had lived there for 24 years. His death was confirmed by his wife, Miriam, who did not give a cause. He played his last concert on Monday in Hyeres, France.

Mr. Griffin's modest height earned him the nickname the Little Giant; his speed in bebop improvising marked him as the Fastest Gun in the West; a group he led with his fellow saxophonist Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis was informally called the Tough Tenor band, a designation that was eventually applied to a whole school of hard-bop tenor players. And in general, Mr. Griffin suffered from categorization. In the early 1960s, embittered by the critical acceptance of free jazz, he stayed true to his identity as a bebopper.

Feeling that the American marketplace had no use for him (at a time when he was also having marital and tax troubles), he left for Europe, where he became a celebrated jazz elder. "It's not like I'm looking to prove anything anymore," he said in a 1993 interview. "At this age, what can I prove? I'm concentrat ing more on the beauty in the music, the humanity." Indeed, Mr. Griffin's work in the 1990s, with an American quartet that stayed constant whenever he revisited his home country to perform or record, had a new sound, mellower and sweeter than in his younger I iiii.iuii.iw,. JOHNNY ART KANEFILE 1958 Johnny Griffin was included in this photograph of 57 jazz greats taken in Harlem for Esquire magazine.

He was near the top of the stairs, seated on the right. Art Blakey, Charles Mingus, Gene Krupa, Sonny Rollins, and Dizzy Gillespie were also present. -VMtfWL: my service he went back to Chicago, where he worked with Monk for the first time, a job that altered his career. He became interested in Monk's brightly melodic style of composition, and he ended up as a regular member of Monk's quartet in New York in 1958. In 1967 he toured Europe with a Monk octet.

Mr. Griffin joined Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers for a short stint in 1957. The following year he began recording a series of albums as a leader for the Riverside label. On "Way Out!" "The Little Giant" and other Riverside albums, his rampaging energy got its moment in the sun on tunes like "Cherokee," famous vehicles for testing a musician's mettle. A few years later he hooked up with Davis, a more blues-oriented tenor saxophonist, with whom he made a series of records that act as barometers of taste: listeners tend to find them either thrilling or filled with too many notes.

The Griffin-Davis combination was a popular one, and the two men would sporadically reunite through the 70s and '80s. Mr. Griffin left the United States in 1963, settling in Paris and recording mostly for Euro Ammons and Von Freeman. Mr. Griffin's career started in a hurry: At age 12, attending his grammar school graduation dance at the Parkway Ballroom in Chi cago, he saw Ammons play in King Kolax's big band and decided what his instrument would be.

By 14 he was playing alto saxophone in a variety of situations, including a group called the Baby Band with schoolmates, AFPGETTY IMAGESFILE 2007 GRIFFIN VENTOLA. Rita (Bompane) Of Ipswich, formerly of Revere, age 89, died Thursday, July 24, 20O8. She was the wife of the late Arthur J. ventola who died in 1977. She Is survived by her two loving sons.

Jack and his wife, Diane Ventola of Ipswich and Nick Ventola of Middleton and her adoring granddaughter, Gia and her husband, Navid Ghoreishi of Ipswich. Her funeral services will be privately held in the Woodlawn Cemetery, Everett. Arrangements are under the direction of the Pike-Grondin Funeral Home, 61 Middle Gloucester. VOLPE, John W. 57, of Bellini ham, MA passed away July 24, 2008 In Saint Vincent Hospital, Worcester, MA.

Born in Boston, MA on January 3, 1951. Son of the late Robert and Earlene (Crispin) Volpe. Loving Brother of David ana his wife Norma volpe of Schuyler. VA and the late Robert Volpe. Trinity Diane Breau and Barbara Denoyelle.

Brother-ln-Law of Leonide J. Breau and Thomas Denoyelle both of Belling-ham, MA and Sandra Volpe of Sarasota, FL, 8 nieces and 6 nephews. Resident of Bellingham, MA and for the past 2 years John has been at the wachusett Extended Care Facility in Holden, MA. He was raised in Needham. MA and was a graduate of Needham High School Class of 1969.

John was devoted to his family and friends and will be greatly missed. Funeral will be held Tuesday from Cartler's Funeral Home, 151 SO. Main St. (Route 126) BELLINGHAM, MA with a Mass of Christian Burial 10 00AM in St. Blaise Church 1158 So.

Main Bellingham. Intement St. Jean Baptiste Cemetery, Bellingham. Visiting hours Monday 5-BPM. Relatives and friends invited to attend.

Cartler's Funeral Home 508 883 8383 WILLIAMS, Janet Made (Haskell) 84, of Concord. July 26. 2008. Mrs. Williams was born in Cambridge, MA on August 14, 1923, the daughter of Mary Morton Washburn Haskell and Eli Perry Haskell.

She received a B.A. Degree from and an A. from Wellesiey College. In 1949. she married Charles Bishop Park of Cambridge, who died Dec.

25, 1981. in 1995, she married Manning A. Williams, Jr. of Cambridge. Both men were Veterans of WW II.

Mrs. Williams lived In Concord at various times since 1983. She worked as a secretary In the Concord Public School System for over 17 years. She was a member of the Skating Club of Boston for 25 years; and had a lifelong hobby of Geneaology. Mrs.

Williams leaves a brother, Stanley W. Haskell of watertown, two daughters, Laurel Park Ackles of Maynard and Priscilla Park Swain of Harvard, three step-children. Christopher N. Williams of Austin, TX. Elizabeth Williams of Putney.

VT, and Sarah Williams of Burlington, VT She also leaves seven grandchildren and three great-grandchildren. Funeral Services will be Wednesday, July 30th at 1 1 AM In MacRae-Tunni-cliffes Concord Funeral Home cor Thoreau and Belknap CONCORD, interment to follow In Lin-denwood Cemetery, Stoneham. Family and friends cordially invited. Those who wish may make memorial contributions to: VFW Foundation, Suite 514, 406 w. 34th Kansas City, MO 64111.

For online guestbook, visit: ww.concordfuneral.com MacRae-Tunnlcllffe's Concord Funeral Home Concord, MA WI-169-33U WILLIAMSON, Susan Of Newton Centre, July 26, 2008. Sister of Richard P. Williamson, Jr. and his wife Mary of Yarmouthport. Aunt of Ann Hibbard.

Paul, John and Jane Williamson. Also survived by 9 great nieces and nephews and many friends. Family and friends will gather in Sacred Heart Church. 1321 centre Newton Centre, Monday morning July 28 for visiting hours from 9-10 AM followed by a Funeral Mass at 10 AM. interment will be in Newton Cemetery.

Susan was a Professor in Regis College tor 35 years Susan was also a recent recipient of the Harvard University Distinguished Service Award, in lieu of flowers, remembrances may be made to the Regis College Development Office. 235 Wellesiey Weston, MA 024V3. lacklnrton. Conroy a Hayes F.H.. Inc.

1-tOO-SiS-tnf WILLIAMS, The very Reverend Perry of Jamaica Plain July 22nd. Beloved husband of the late Anne (Ballentine) Williams. Loving father of Sara C. Williams wilson-Sewlckley and her husband Joseph Ill of Pa. Brother of Gwendolyn Spencer of Ct.

Grandfather of Emily. Jane. Stelly Molly Williams and Dylan Graham. A memorial Service will be held at St. John's Episcopal church In August, time and date will be announced.

Arrangements by the Mann 8 Rodgers Funeral Home, Jamaica Plain. WILSON, Robert J. At 55 years. In Revete. unexpectedly.

July 23 Be- Lw. loved husband of Mary Ellen (SavlRnano). Cher-Ished father of James lp53 Timothy Wilson of Revere. Sharon Ames 8 husband Chris of Clearwater, FL, Robert Cale of IL Kt Klmherty McCall of Maiden. Dear brother of Fdward Wilson Hi wile Karen of Pembroke, Alyce B.

Hootman of AR, Kenneth A. Wilson wife Evelyn of Salem Donald J. Wilson of South Boston. Also lovingly survived by his grandchilden: Nicholas Wilson lily a Grayson Ames 8t several nieces 8t nephews. Family friends are Invited to attend the Funeral from the Vertucclo Home For Funerals.

773 Broadway, (Route 10), Kt vf RE on Tuesday. July 29 at 9 AM followed by a Funeral Mass In St Michael the Archangel at Soldiers' Home. Chelsea at 10 AM. Visiting hours ate Monday only 6 8 PM In the Funeral Home, Parking available In the lot left of the Funeral Home Interment is private. Late Navy Veteran of the Vietnam Conflict In lieu of flowers, remembrances may be made to the New frngland Shelter lor Homeless veterans.

1 Court Boston, MA 0210H WRIOHT. Dorothy M. (if an) -of Biookiinn. July 24, 2O0H, beloved wile of the lute Arthur E. WrlHht.

Loving mother of Diane Milton of Allston, Edward Arthur R. and Thomas Wright all of Brook-line Devoted grandmother of Michael Besaw. Also survived by her three Ulsters. Ann Marie Ciosse, Theresa LeHlanc and Mary nan, her three brothers Milton, Thorn as and Richie, she Is predeceased by six brothers, Harold, Jackie, I ward Roheit, Billy and Francis lKn Visiiiiik hours will be held on Monday Irom 4 8 in the Roll Dea Funeral Home. 36 Washington St bhooki INI Relatives and friends aie kindly Invited.

Committal service will be on Tuesday at 1:13 PM In the Mass. National Cemetery, Bourne HO DM Funaral Home 1 J77 74SJ of Barbara Ann Teer; promoted African-American arts; at 71 'if trumpeter Joe Morris, a fellow Chicagoan, with whom he made the first recordings for the Atlantic label. He entered the US Army in 1951; stationed in Hawaii, he played in an Army band. Mr. Griffin was of an impressionable age when Charlie Parker and Dizzy Gillespie became forces in jazz.

He heard them both with Billy Eckstine's band in 1945 and, having first internalized the more ballad-like saxophone sound earlier popularized by Johnny Hodges and Ben Webster, became entranced by the lightning-fast phrasing of bebop, as the new music of Parker and Gillespie was known. In general his style remained brisk but relaxed, bebop playing salted with blues tonality. Beyond the 1960s his skill and his musical eccentricity continued to deepen, and in later years he could play odd, asymmetrical phrases, bulging with blues honking and then tapering off into state-of-the-art bebop, filled with passing chords. In the late 1940s he befriended the pianists Elmo Hope, Bud Powell and Thelonious Monk; he called these friendships his "postgraduate education." After his Ar iiiiniT 'f umi.i LAHRY C. MORRISN.Y.

TIMES RICHARD C. WADE He was a founder and the first president of the Urban History Association. "He started a movement," said Jackson. "There are hundreds of books on cities now, and in a sense he is their grandfather. The only reason I took urban history was because of him; I had never heard of such a thing." In 1991, Mr.

Wade was appointed chairman of New York state's commission on libraries by Mario M. Cuomo, then the governor. While traveling the state, Mr. Wade became alarmed at the high levels of adult illiteracy he encountered, and he devoted his later years to publicizing the issue. His marriages to Louise Carroll Wade of Eugene, and Cynthia Hyla Whlttaker of Manhattan ended In divorce.

Mr. Wade, a close friend of Arthur Schlesinger with whom he shared an office at the Graduate Center, moved easily within the higher circles of Democratic politics. "For 15 or 20 years, he was the guy reporters talked to to get an Insight Into city politics" Jackson said. "But he didn't want to be quoted; he wanted to be In the thick of the action." pean labels sometimes with other American expatriates, like the drummer Kenny Clarke, and sometimes with European rhythm sections. In 1973 he moved to Ber-gambacht, the Netherlands.

He moved to the Cote d'Azur with his second wife, Miriam, in 1980, and then in 1984 to Availles-Limou-zine, near Poitiers in midwestern France, where he lived thereafter. In addition to his wife, Mr. Griffin leaves four children: his daughters Jo-Onna and Ingrid and a son, John Arnold Griffin, all of the New York City area, and another daughter, Cynthia Griffin of Bordeaux, France. Mr. Griffin stayed true to the small-group bebop ideal with his American quartet, including the pianist Michael Weiss and the drummer Kenny Washington.

The record he made with this group for the Antilles label in 1991, "The Cat," was received warmly as a comeback. Every April for many years, Mr. Griffin returned to Chicago to visit family and play. During those visits he usually also spent a week at the Village Vanguard in New York, before returning home to his quiet house in the country. being free, open, and black," she added, "where we can find out how talented we really are, where we can be what we were born to be and not what we were brainwashed to be, where we can literally 'blow our minds' with blackness." For Ms.

Teer, this was not idle rhetoric. That year she founded the National Black Theater, an institution dedicated to the performing arts, community advocacy, and the appreciation of the history and lifestyle of black Americans. The theater, which bought its own building at 125th Street and Fifth Av HIGUINS JRVNY. 1 IMES ANN TEER enue with financing she arranged, produces shows, lectures, and other events, presents art exhibits, conducts workshops, and holds classes. As executive director, not only was Ms.

Teer In charge of fund-raising and administration, she also wrote and directed for a music, dance, and theater troupe that appeared at Lincoln Center and on the public television program "Soul." The company toured in Bermuda, Guyana, Haiti, South Africa, and Trinidad, as well as in the United States. Ms. Teer was especially drawn to the Yoruba people of Nigeria, which she visited many times and from which she brought Yoruba artists to New York to create works for the theater building. Ms. Teer had a brief marriage to comedian Godfrey Cambridge, who died In 1976.

In addition to her daughter, who lives In Manhattan, she leaves a son, Michael Lythcott, also of Manhattan. and occasionally with the blues guitarist and singer T-Bone Walker. At 18, three days after his high school graduation, Mr. Griffin left Chicago to join Lionel Hampton's big band, where he switched from alto to tenor. From then until 1951 he was based in New York City but mostly on the road.

By 1947 he was touring with the rhythm-and-blues band of the helped make subjects; at 87 disciplinary study of urban history," said David Nasaw, a history professor at the Graduate Center of CUNY. "His studies were not just of politics or immigration. He tried to look at the city as a living, breathing, complicated and not always harmonious organism." While teaching and writing, Mr. Wade also engaged the world of practical politics as a campaign adviser and a one-man brain trust for Democrats, locally and nationally. In the New York Senate race in 1964, he managed Kennedy's upstate campaign, and he was the chief strategist for McGovern's presidential campaign in the New York primary.

"He was an odd combination of Intellectual and old-fashioned politician," Nasaw said. "When you sat down to talk with him, you never knew which one you were going to get" Richard Clement Wade was born in Des Moines but grew up In Winnetka, 111, a wealthy suburb of Chicago, where his father practiced law. He attended New Trier High School, where he played champl-onshlp-level tennis. He earned bachelor's and master's degrees in history at the University of Rochester and competed in basketball, track and field, and baseball. After receiving his doctorate at Harvard In 1956, he taught at Rochester and at Washington Uni versity in St.

Louis before moving to the University of Chicago In 1963. In 1971, he was named a distinguished professor of history at CUNY's Graduate Center. In addition to "The Urban Frontier," his books Include the Influential "Slavery In the Cities: The South, 1820-1860," and, with Harold M. Mayer, "Chicago: Growth of a Metropolis." days. Johnny Griffin was born in Chicago April 24, 1928, and grew up on the South Side.

He attended DuSable High School, where he was taught by the famed high school band instructor Captain Walter Dyett, whose other students included the singers Nat "King" Cole and Dinah Washing ton and the saxophonists Gene Richard Wade; cities academic By William Grimes NEW YORK TIMES NEWS SERVICE NEW YORK Richard C. Wade, who helped put cities on the map as an academic subject and who advised Democratic candidates including Adlai Stevenson, Robert F. Kennedy, and George McGovern, died July 18 at his home on Roosevelt Island in New York City. He was 87. His death was confirmed by his wife, Liane Thomas Wade.

Mr. Wade, who taught at the University of Chicago in the 1960s and at the Graduate Center of the City University of New York from 1971 to 1993, pursued an urban agenda through his writing and teaching and in the political arena. His first book, which grew out of the dissertation he wrote at Harvard under Arthur Schlesinger challenged Frederick Jackson Turner's argument that the American frontier was opened up by farmers and pioneers. In "The Urban Frontier," published in 1959, Mr. Wade argued that cities like Pittsburgh, Louisville, and Cincinnati were the catalysts for westward expansion.

At the University of Chicago, his application of social science techniques to the analysis of cities decisively Influenced students such as Kenneth T. Jackson, now a professor of history at Columbia University, and Howard P. Chuda-coff of Brown University. "He was a pioneer In the inter- VOam. John W.

Of Bristol NH formerly ol Wakefield arid Read-Inn Inly 72 Husband of Shirley M. (ICHImir) Fnlher ol Sandy Yorks ol c.A, Valerie Vorks of NH the late Stephen a Sharon Vorks tirandlnthor of Tanya vorks of CA. Funeral services will tie private. Memorial contributions may made to the American Heart Assoc. Sueen st FramlMKbam, MA 01701 For obltdirguest-book: www mcdonaldfs com By Bruce Weber NEW YORK TIMES NEWS SERVICE NEW YORK Barbara Ann Teer, who gave up a promising career in commercial entertainment to concentrate on developing African-American culture in Harlem and who founded the National Black Theater there, died Monday in Harlem.

She was 71 and died of natural causes, said her daughter, Sade Lythcott. Ms. Teer, who first went to Harlem in the 1960s as a teacher at Wadleigh Junior High School, became, over four decades, a Harlem nurturer, a Harlem cheerleader, a Harlem developer, and a Harlem fixture. CHISTER BARBARA A dancer and actor who appeared frequently in New York productions, on Broadway and off, she had grown tired of being offered stereotypical roles by white producers and became a fierce and eloquent advocate for black artists and a black culture independent tf the white-dominated mainstream. She announced her philosophy in a 1968 article in The New York Times, writing a call to arms to black artists In general and black theater artists In particular to declare and define themselves.

"For those brothers and sisters who are still tied to whltey and have not yet seen the need to shape their own black cultural art expression," she wrote, "let's look at one of whltey institutions: the American theater, an establishment developed, owned, and operated by him for the sole purpose of making money." "We must begin building cultural centers where we can enjoy.