Warren L. Berryman, age 91, died January 18, 2014, in Morrison, Colorado, where he had resided since 1991. Born February 24, 1922, in Omaha, Nebraska, Berryman was a graduate of the University of Nebraska at Omaha and the University of Minnesota; he received the Doctor of Sacred Music degree from Union Theological Seminary in New York City in 1958. He attended the Biarritz American University in Biarritz, France, in 1946 and received a Fulbright grant for study with Flor Peeters at the Royal Flemish Conservatory in Antwerp, Belgium, in 1956–57; other organ study was with Robert Baker, Vernon DeTar, and Arthur Jennings.
Dr. Berryman taught at Hastings College (Nebraska), West Virginia University, the University of Minnesota, and the College of St. Thomas in St. Paul, Minnesota. Professor of organ at Baldwin-Wallace College in Berea, Ohio, from 1957–86 (named emeritus in 1986), he was chairman of the organ and church music department and continued to teach organ there until moving to Colorado in 1992. He was organist-choirmaster at several churches in Minnesota and Ohio, and organist at the chapel of Rutgers University (1953–54). In 1992, after serving nineteen years, he retired as organist of the United Methodist Church in Berea, Ohio. Dr. Berryman served the American Guild of Organists as dean of the Central Nebraska and Cleveland chapters, on the program committee for the AGO national convention in Cleveland in 1974, and was a recitalist at the regional AGO convention in Akron, Ohio, in 1965.
He was preceded in death by his parents, Cecil and Alice Berryman from Omaha, Nebraska, well-known pianists and teachers, an older brother Edward, a well-known organist in Minnesota, and younger brother Rudolph, also a pianist and teacher.
Warren L. Berryman is survived by his wife of 65 years, Mary Anne Whatley Berryman, his son Warren Davis Berryman of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, daughter Anne Berryman Hutt of Evergreen, Colorado, son Emmett Whatley Berryman of Dallas, Texas, nine grandchildren, and three great-grandchildren.
Albert Frederick Fahrner, Jr. died June 20, 2013, in Tucson, Arizona. He was 82. Born in Detroit, Fahrner served as music director-organist at Christ Episcopal Church in Dearborn, Michigan, and staff organist at Greenfield Village, where he and his wife, Anne, were married in the Martha-Mary Chapel. He also served at Detroit’s Redford Theatre, and as accompanist in the Detroit public school system. After retiring, he and Anne divided their time between homes in Tucson and Michigan. Fahrner was a longtime member of the Guild of Carillonneurs in North America; he had advanced to carillonneur member in 1955.
Patrick Quigley, 63, of Wirtz, Virginia, died on January 14. Born on December 29, 1950, in Esh Winning, England, Quigley served as apprentice and journeyman with Harrison & Harrison where he perfected his skills in fine English cabinetmaking and earned Master Organ Builder’s credentials. Quigley also worked for Gabriel Kney in London, Ontario, Canada, for six years. In 1979 he and his family moved to Houston, Texas, where he joined Visser-Rowland and Associates and spent 17 years building over 80 organs.
In 1993, he ventured off to start his own supply company to the organ industry. After two years under the name Quigley Designs, he met with Mark Lively and Paul Fulcher to build a two-manual organ for Lively-Fulcher Organ Builders. After this first venture they decided to join forces and build a new 10,000-square-foot workshop in Rocky Mount, Virginia, under the now current name of QLF Custom Pipe Organ Components.
Patrick Quigley is survived by his wife of 43 years, Irene Quigley of Wirtz, Virginia; son, Jeremy Quigley of Rocky Mount, Virginia; daughter Jennifer Wilson, son-in-law David Wilson, grandson Charlie Wilson, and granddaughter Casey Wilson of Hardy, Virginia; brothers William (Billy) Quigley, John Quigley, J. Michael Quigley, and Kevin Quigley, and sisters Winfred, Mary, and Angela.
Johannes (John) Wessel of Brattleboro, Vermont, died January 7, 2014, at age 91. He was born in Zoeterwoude, Holland on November 15, 1922, to Willem and Aagje (van Vliet) Wessel. At age 13, he started working for van Leeuwen Pipe Organ Company in Leiden, a profession that he stayed with throughout his life until his retirement in 2002. Wessel was well known throughout New England for his voicing skills.
During World War II, he spent years successfully evading the occupying German troops who were actively searching for young Dutch men to work in their factories. In 1946, he married Sophia A. van Hoeven. The family emigrated to Brattleboro in 1954 after he was invited to work for the Estey Organ Company. After Estey closed in 1960, he continued building, restoring, repairing, and maintaining pipe organs throughout Vermont and much of New England. In addition to maintaining most of the organs in Brattleboro, he moved Estey Opus #1 from its original home in the former Methodist Church on Elliott Street to the new church on Putney Road, and built the organ in St. Michael’s Catholic Church on Walnut Street.
Johannes (John) Wessel is survived by his wife Sophia, son Willem Wessel of West Chesterfield, New Hampshire; daughters Nellie Hamilton of Hinsdale, New Hampshire, Trixie Stinebring of Spofford, New Hampshire, Joy Trigg of Williston, Vermont, and Rose Wessel of Cummington, Massachusetts, and nine grandchildren, three great grandchildren, and one great-great grandchild.
