Roger McClentic

Roger Herbert McClentic passed away on March 24, 2023 at the age of 86. He was born on November 5 1936 the son of Laura Emerson Cartwright McClentic and Herbert Lewis McClentic Jr. in Pawtucket, Rhode Island. He studied clarinet and bassoon starting in the eighth grade and continued studying through his high school years. During his later high school years he played bassoon with the Brown University Orchestra under the famous conductor and violinist Harry Ellis Dickson. He received a full scholarship to study bassoon at Boston University. He received his Bachelor of Music Education degree from Boston University in 1959 with a double major in bassoon and voice, and his Master’s degree in Music Education from Boston Conservatory in 1974. He taught music in the Greenfield Massachusetts Public Schools, the Ayer Massachusetts Public Schools and the Hingham Massachusetts Public Schools. He began his career in Hingham as Director of Fine Arts overseeing the Drama and Art Departments as well as the Music Department. He started the organization called Save Music in Our schools while he was teaching. He retired from his position as Director of Fine Arts and served as Computer Coordinator for the Hingham Public Schools for two years and then fully retired. During his years teaching in Greenfield he also worked part time repairing wind instruments. He continued repairing wind and string instruments full time after his retirement from Hingham. He married his first wife, Betty Giles in 1955 and the were divorced in 1995. He married his second wife Linda Carol Wheat in 1995. Roger and Linda moved to Arizona in 2004. Roger served as choir director for the Somerset Massachusetts Baptist Church, the Plymouth Massachusetts United Methodist Church and Church of the Palms in Sun City, Arizona. He is survived by his ex-wife Betty, his second wife Linda, his daughters Edie and Catheryn, His son Douglas, his granddaughters, Jessica, Brianna, and Allison Reill, Victoria, Grace and Isabella McClentic, grandsons, Joshua, Nick and Jaime Reill, Alexander and Miles McClentic. Roger is pre-deceased by his parents, His sisters, Lynn MacLagen, and Lauralann LaBonte and his son Donald McClentic. Roger was a gifted teacher and composer. His Magnificat was performed in 2011 at Christmas time at the Church of the Palms. His Rosewood Sonata for Oboe and Piano dedicated to oboist, Jean Allen, was performed at a benefit concert for St Charles Mission School at the San Carlos Apache Reservation. He wrote many compositions for the churches he served as choir director also a cello concerto and a woodwind quintet. His memorial service will be at Menke Funeral Home, 12420 103rd Ave, Sun City, AZ 85351 on April 22nd at 11 o’clock am.