Dr. William “Ritchie” Clendenin, United States Marine Band veteran and professor emeritus of trumpet, died on April 3. He was 82.

Born in 1942, Clendenin earned his Bachelor of Music degree from the University of Colorado, Boulder, in 1965, where his father worked as a musicologist. He went on to get his Master of Music from Yale University in 1967.

Following graduation, he served his country in the “President’s Own” United States Marine Band during the Vietnam War. At that time, he performed on a regular basis at the White House. In December 1967, he had the honor of performing as the trumpet soloist during Lynda Bird Johnson and Chuck Robb’s wedding in the White House, the daughter of President Lyndon B. Johnson.

In 1973, Clendenin earned his Doctor of Musical Arts from the University of Colorado, Boulder, and the same year began his tenure as Professor of Trumpet at Fresno State. He remained at Fresno State until his retirement in 2001.

“Ritchie was indeed a wonderful colleague, soft-spoken and kind. He always had his students' education and welfare in mind, and they knew this and adored him for this as well as his amazing artistry on the trumpet. As such, he was a wonderful model for their playing and teaching,” said Dr. Thomas Heibert, professor of music.

Following his retirement in 2001, Clendenin moved to Colorado, where he lived until his passing. During his retirement, he remained involved with his alma mater, and his father’s former employer, the University of Colorado School of Music.

Read an extended remembrance of Clendenin on the College of Arts and Humanities blog.