Make a Donation in Memory of Allen

Friends of Allen Trubitt can make donations to the Allen R. Trubitt Endowed Scholarship Fund, UHF account # 205-1780-3 as requested by his family. Checks should be made out to "UH Foundation" with "Trubitt Endowed Scholarship Fund" in the memo section, and mailed to UH Foundation, P.O. Box 11270, Honolulu, HI 96828-0270
OR
Use the following link to make a donation on-line with a credit card to the Trubitt Endowed Scholarship Fund. The UH Foundation website is very secure and does not retain donor credit card information:

http://www.uhf.hawaii.edu/TrubittScholarship


Monday, June 30, 2008

Tell us a story about Allen

Hello and thanks for stopping by. David (Rudy) Trubitt here, Allen's son. In this thread, I and the rest of his family invite you to participate in his memorial by sharing your stories and memories of Allen.

Please post a comment by clicking the word "comments" below.

24 comments:

Lisa Trubitt said...

Make a Donation in Allen's memory

The family requests that in lieu of flowers, donations be made to support music students in Allen's memory. Checks should be make out to "UH Foundation" with "Allen Trubitt Memorial" in the memo section and can be mailed to UH Foundation, P.O. Box 11270, Honolulu, HI 96828-0270.

Lisa Trubitt said...

My father gave his children many gifts. We all inherited his sense of humor, the Trubitt story-telling gene and a good ear. My brother and sister also received hearty doses of his musical talent; I got a generous share of his temper, strong opinions and the verbal ability to cut to the quick. We all shared our own special bond with my father, probably because of the different ways he saw himself reflected in each of us.

When we were very young, people always observed that David was more like my mother, and that I closely resembled my father. Because we shared the same fire, my father saw many aspects of himself in me. Our similarities are more obvious to me now, but I’m also my mother’s daughter. One of the most amazing gifts our parents give us is the very best of themselves, which is the finest they have to offer.

My father also taught his children many lessons. He couldn’t help it; he was a teacher! The latest one he’s taught me is that his lessons are enduring, unending, and even more powerful in his absence. Now that he’s gone, they are also surprisingly comforting. Because of those lessons, I’m grateful for so many things, including small packages, justice, and people who care enough to make a difference, one life at a time. My father was someone who made a difference for a lot of people.

The last gift my father gave me while he was still alive was the love and affection he showered on my new husband. After first meeting him, my father pulled me aside and pronounced “He’s different from the others.” This comment was actually about me. Because we were so much alike, my father knew I believed Spiro to be my true love and life companion without my having to tell him. This remark was his way of saying he agreed with my assessment. Whenever we spoke on the phone, the first thing my father always asked was how Spiro was. Then he’d say, “Say his last name again” to which I would reply “Socaris.” “Spell it,” he would say, so I would. Then he would spell it back to me and repeat “Socaris” a few more times for good measure. This became our ritual opener.

At our engagement ceremony and celebration in Hawaii this past February, members of our families were asked to comment on what it meant to have each of us join one another’s respective clans. Here is what my father said:

“When Lisa first reported her attraction to Spiro, the rest of her family was amused to hear that he apparently walked on water. When she finally brought this paragon home (the definition of which is from medieval Greek parakonē a paragon is a perfect example, epitome, archetype, ideal, exemplar, quintessence, apotheosis, acme; jewel, gem, angel, treasure; one in a million, the tops!) When she brought this paragon home, it was a rainy day. And Spiro walked in our front door, tracking wet footprints, thereby confirming all initial reports.”

My sister read these remarks at our wedding in May, which my father was not able to attend. Although most of Spiro’s family never had the opportunity to meet him, they were all deeply moved by the clarity of his perception and obvious affection for Spiro. And they all mourned the loss of this striking person they never met, drawn to him by the love he clearly shared with them for their brother. They, of course, had always known that Spiro walks on water.

I was deeply touched by my father’s love for Spiro. They shared many similarities, and I think my father viewed Spiro as a combination of son, friend and kindred spirit. They were both extremely well-informed about politics, world affairs, and shared a love of knowledge and enduring curiosity on more topics of interest than most people could count. They each enjoyed verbal sparring, lively debate on almost any subject, and the sheer delight of critical analysis and problem-solving—for any problem. My only disappointment is that they didn’t have more years to engage in these activities together. I can imagine my father storing up jokes, news clippings, and questions about the fire service that he would save for his next visit with Spiro.

Now that he’s gone, it is clear to me that for all of the wonderful qualities my father appreciated in Spiro, what he appreciated most was what Spiro gave me. Because he saw so much of himself in me, he knew how important it was for me to find the person who would completely love, support and treasure me. To my father, I was one of three priceless gifts, so that standard was very high. When I brought Spiro home, my father saw someone who had done the impossible by exceeding that standard. This brought him great joy, and the comfort I imagine only a father can have for his daughter when he knows she has found the partner who will care for her and protect her as he would himself. Recognizing that my father knew this has been another gift, and one that brings Spiro and I great joy.

No doubt his gifts and lessons will continued to be revealed to us, and accepting his death is an evolutionary process. I find I remember him at his best, and I am so grateful that he is free of a life that had become a burden. I have always been very proud to be his daughter. Now that he’s gone, I find that I am even prouder of being so much like him. And the good news is that whenever we engage in verbal sparring in my mind, I always get to determine the outcome.

rudy trubitt said...

Allen loved jokes and telling stories, and was known for his great sense of humor. Here's a poem he wrote in 1995, just a few years after he was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease:

Of human diseases PD's one of the jewels.
To enjoy it most, just follow these rules:
Try to recall, before you start yappin'
That PD's not the worst that can happen.
It makes you neurotic, but not completely insane
So count your blessings before griping again.

Cherish our foreign terms; they're sure to please ya'
Like substantia nigra and bradykinesia.
Remember, PDs have a special high calling:
Do everything you can to keep from falling.

When you're walking there's one thing more:
Swing arms evenly, back to fore,
And try not to slobber, although you may drool -
Unsightly behavior's against the rule.

Try not to write so terribly small,
It gets so cramped we can't read it at all.
And take your pills for goodness sake,
If you don't do that - well, give us a break!

If you must shake your head, shake it just so,
Don't let it look like you're saying "no".
Shake front to back, that'll be best;
Then the shaking looks like you're saying "yes".

Exercise daily to avoid festination,
Eat plenty to veggies to prevent constipation.
Drink plenty of water, but don't miss the toilet,
If your underwear's clean, try not to soil it.

That expressionless face that you're always making
Is less problematic than that arm that keeps shaking.
So keep up your spirits, do your best to be chipper,
And smile, though your face looks like Jack the Ripper.

And sleep all you can, lucky lad or lass,
And turn on the night light, so yiou don't fall on your...fanny.
When it comes to sex - Well, there's no single answer,
Be grateful it's PD, you don't have cancer!

Anonymous said...

I first met Dr. Trubitt in 1972 when I began to study music at the UH Manoa Music Department, where he was the current head of the department. I would see him bounce around the halls, talking to staff and students. He would often eat lunch out in the courtyard with people like Eric Shanck, Robert Shigematsu, Mrs. Cambra, Ohta San and others. He seemed quiet, conservative and friendly, always smiling when we would pass by each other around the music department.
As I was not enrolled, I had only a few occasions to speak with him. The first time was after I had heard a piece he wrote performed in a concert featuring compositions of students and faculty at the UH music department. Armand Russell's piece was like Armand, big stoic explosions of folly, fanfare and perplexity. Kashansky's piece was chaotic precision, driving the brain to overload in polyrhythmic bliss. It is hard to remember the others but it was apparent that the everyone was striving to expound upon their favorite compositional styles.
But Dr. Turbot’s was my favorite of the night. Now, more then thirty years later, I remember it was a chamber piece that sounded more neoclassic then the other compositions. I was fascinated with what was happening with the strings as the violin, viola and cello were mixing colors as they wove a tapestry of textures.
The piece itself wasn't trying to prove anything or make a bold statement. From beginning to end the piece flowed in a cohesive aural story. There was a couple of times that I seemed to hear influences of Hindemith and Stravinsky. I don't know what his motivation was for writing the piece. But I knew it required a sensitivity and understanding of music that goes beyond the ink on the page. Dr. Trubitt became a role model to me and I understood him better by hearing his piece. Sometime after, when I saw him in the courtyard, I told him I enjoyed his piece. He talked about how he was creating colors, or something of that nature. I didn't always understand everything he was saying. He asked me what I was doing and I showed him some of the orchestrations I was working on. He studied it intently and murmured a couple of times. I think he was satisfied that I was doing well in my studies and encouraged me to keep at it. This was a reaffirmation for me and the closest I got to receiving some kind of academic evaluation, and from someone of Dr Trubitt’s stature. It gave a boost to my morale to have the support of the head of the music department.
I met his son, Rudy, a few years later and our families have become close friends since then.
Dr. Trubitt will be greatly missed. Our heartfelt condolences go to his family and friends.
Hiram Bell

Anonymous said...

(A note from LINDA HEAVILIN, posted by Rudy)

I am a friend of Allen's from the University of Hawaii. I met him there in his days with the Democratic Party of Hawaii in the mid to late 60's. My first distinct memory of him is that he and his former wife, Anita, played at my wedding. Literally! They were the musical entertainment, though with piano and cello as their instruments, they were much more refined than the term entertainment might suggest.

Over the years, Allen would come by my office for a chat or we would share a lunch at the Campus Center or maybe find ourselves in a "group" together, exploring the inner and outer reaches of our human potential as so many others in that era were, too.

We remained friends and colleagues through both our careers, two marriages and one divorce a piece and into our senior graying years. During all that time, I always felt that Allen cared deeply for me and for my happiness. When I debated taking a more senior administrative position at the University, he loudly encouraged me. While he wasn't as keen later about my announced plans to remarry and move away from the islands, he kept his concerns to an expression of hope that I would still use my professional skills and not stay away too long. When I did return to the islands some years hence, he was always happy to hear of my travels.

Having married on the 14th of February, he was steadfast in sending along an annual handmade Valentine expressing his good wishes and an anniversary greeting to me in the form of some poem he wrote for the occasion. They were all personal and touched my heart.

He was a master teacher and a true creative genius. He wrote, without prompting, a lullaby for each of my sons upon their births. They are family treasures that were framed and hang to this day in my home some 6000 miles away.

I will miss Allen's mischievous smile, the gleam in his eye and his kind and gentle manner. I deeply regretted not being there to honor him at the memorial, but will come to Punchbowl one day to bid him aloha.

Jean said...

Dr. Trubitt has inspired me to take on challenges not only in music but in life itself. As I was going through college I had the challenge of being the care giver for my grandmother who had a stroke that left her paralyzed on one side and wheel chair bound. No one else showed so much understanding and care as Dr. Trubitt and Dr. Armstrong.

Anonymous said...

Dr. T was a one-in-a-million human being, teacher, role model and composer. I entered the UHM music department as a student with a great ear, tons of performance experience, but no classical music experience, and no reading/writing skills. Dr. T recognized 'something" in me and took me under his wing. 10 years later, I earned my PhD in music.

Now, a decade beyond that, I can say that I have studied under, taught alongside, and worked with dozens of music educators across the U.S. and parts of Europe. None have come close to displaying Dr. T's knack for saying the right thing, in the right way, at exactly the right time to inspire and motivate students, colleagues and others to realize their highest potential in any situation. His compassion, wisdom and perspective on life enabled his unique gift for teaching.

My aloha for this man will never cease to grow.

Anonymous said...

Thank you Dr. Trubitt for making my years as a student in the music department an enjoyable and memorable one. Out of all the professors in the department, you were one of the few that REALLY took the time to sit with me and get me through the sometimes tough theory assignments. I will always remember your sense of humor and ability to make things alot more clear.

Anonymous said...

As a violin student of Janice Trubitt for many years, I first met Dr. Trubitt when I was in elementary school. The things I remember about him are things a child would remember: his voice was a sandy mezzo-piano, and his sentences were staccato. He always seemed to get right to the point.
By the time I entered high school, I had enough sense to recognize things beneath the voice: how he, a university professor, would be interested in how I, a lowly student, was doing. And he always had a twinkle in his eye: there was mischief in his questions. One day, after listening to me play, he sat me down and asked if I was listening to how I sounded. I responded that of course I was listening. But he asked if I was really listening; if I could hear whether one note was truly in tune with the next. I had to admit that I wasn't. And then, for the first time, I did. I realized I was horribly out of tune, but it was the first time I listened as a musician and not simply as a student. I try to listen to things around me now - really listen - and I owe a large part of that to Dr. Trubitt.
Thank you for everything. Kaipo Matsumura.

Anonymous said...

I am writing this for my son.
My son Andrew studied under Dr. Trubitt who inspired and encouraged him in music study. Andrew was a gifted child and was allowed to study in the Department of Music from when he was a high school student. Unfortunately he died in his friend's car accident as a passenger. Dr. Trubitt sent us very warm words for Andrew's funeral. Our family will never forget Dr. Trubitt's kindness,
Gomeifuku o inorimasu.(Pray for his happiness
in the next world, Heaven)

Beth Uale said...

Dr. Trubitt was my favorite professor at UH. I studied under him in the early '80's when his theory books were still being revised just prior to the first printing. Dr. Trubitt inspired me to think intellectually on musical concepts. He loved it when students challenged him on the fine points of theory and some of the students in my class, including myself, would challenge him often. I am very grateful for his role in preparing me for my career as a music educator.

Anonymous said...

I got to hang out with Allen in San Francisco when my brother Kevin and I were visiting Rudy. This was in the mid 1980s. He met us, Rudy, Brenda, myself, and Kev, and took us out to fly a kite at the park. We chose a basic dime store model. It was a sunny day, with good wind conditions, and the project was a total success.

That San Francisco trip was a big deal. I was excited to be hanging out with everyone, going to guitar shops, book shops, and gigs. But I remember the kite expedition as one of the high points of the whole trip. Even though I didn’t know Allen well, there was no disconnect between his personality and the personalities of his children, two of my favorite people on the planet. Having Allen, Anita, and Arman as parents yielded some good results (yes you guys are just lab experiments--we never told you).

A couple of days before Allen died, I took out the CD collection of his compositions that Rudy made (volume 1). I sat and listened to the whole disc, something I rarely do these days, while I ate dinner. Well, it certainly wasn’t dinner music! I had no idea there would be all this modern sounding dissonance. It was compelling, even to my pop sensibilities, and easily disturbed digestive tract.

Hearing Allen’s music again last night at his memorial was a pleasure. Seeing Anita, Rudy, Janice, and Julie performing together in tribute, even though it was not Allen’s piece, was very touching.

The compilation is sitting next to my stereo waiting for another listen, and of course waiting for volume II.

Anonymous said...

It is true that I was chairman when we hired Allen at the University of Hawaii and Raymond Vaught and I were the ones assessing his application. Our socks were blown off with the wonderful, powerful Overture in D of his that we heard during that evaluation. We had no doubts that this, with his other marvelous virtues, meant he was the one for the position.
I still have reverberating laughs from the many times that he and I were overcome with laughter as we worked together creating those theory texbooks of ours. I also remember with great appreciation his tale about loading live ammunition during his early days in the army before his cello-playing and the 5th Army Symphony got him away from all that. He was my best man when I married Sandra and, at the reception, he topped it off with a magnificent speech, such being one of his many talents.

Unknown said...

I'm sorry I missed Allen's memorial. In a way I am of two minds about this. What I have, mostly, are memories of Allen as a fantastic cellist and composer, and as the vital, sharp, funny, energetic and kind mentor that he was to me. I missed most of his battle with PD as well. I will miss him a lot. I will continue to wish I had had more time with him.

When I was a graduate student in composition, he was one of the members of my committee...always supportive, always encouraging, always questioning. Once I had attained my degree, he shared his office with me and encouraged me to become a member of the faculty. I was a lecturer for quite a while and I am still teaching, though no longer at Manoa, for which he bears no responsibility. I hope that I, in my own small way, can continue his great legacy of making a difference in the lives of aspiring musicians.

His words of wisdom and encouragement, and his not-always-so-gentle sarcasm still delight. His spiritual guidance (for that is what it really turned out to be) in music and life is still informing my life and decisions. I did get to see him once or twice after he left the Music Department, and I am grateful for the opportunity those chance encounters afforded me to express, inadequately, my profound appreciation for his being in my life. His last observation on our relationship, pronounced from his wheelchair, was, "well...you were a lot of fun."

Ke aloha no...

Bailey

The Beethoven Academy of Music and German Language said...

To the family of Allen Trubitt,

Dr. Trubitt, or Trubitt as he was know among us students at UH, was a wonderful person and teacher.

I came to the US from Germany in the late seventies and started my undergraduate in '8o, finishing in the spring of 1985.

Trubitt, I always thought (to myself) was not a name that described him well because he seemed to me not a "bitt true", but all true!

During my first two years at UH in the music department, I was struggling with theory and language.

Did he think me dumb? No. He supported me!! And so did Armand Russell who is still my mentor and friend to this day!!!

I remember one day, I was "dumb-founded" about the semantics of Kanon/Rounds as they call it in America.

We just don't say "Rund" in German to Kanons. So he divided the class and conducted the entire theory class in singing "Three Blind Mice" for me!

Believe it or not, a song I did not know because we have different Kanons/Rounds in Germany.....

Did I feel offended? No. We all laughed while learning...

I felt priviledged to have had a professor take the extra time for an immigrant that was struggling with language to get the concept (which I knew afterall but not associated with anything "rund"...)

There were many good and joyful laughs during these times. Locals thought strange of me perhaps, but Trubitt always was there with his humor and time!

It is so hard to think he is gone now, but he did a great job leaving a splendid legacy, didn't he?

One Hawaiian day...can't remember when exactly - since my nine years in Hawaii seemed like one long summer - we discussed rhythm and development.

I went to his office for my weekly composition lesson in which my first statement had multiple motifs and themes, in fact so many that he said,

"Fraulein Ratsch at it again!!...you need to learn how to develop your ideas!!! these few measures are like payday!!!...throwing around too much for everybody!!!...keep some for later!!!

So I asked him, "How DO you develop a melody?"

Frantically, he ran to the door, opened it and said, "Let's go for a walk!"

So we walked around the music department, stomping arm in arm, and he said,

"Think of the Fifth Symphony by Beethoven!..he states the theme and then he repeats it..."!!!

..other students and perhaps professors saw him walking with me arm under mine and laughed, but I did not perceive anybody, I only heard the symphony ticking away in my head...

After I graduated, we still had lunch several times when I visited Hawaii and once when he came to Oakland since I live close to Oakland now.

He never changed. All we would ever talk about is composition.

When I talked to him before he passed away in the fall of '07, he was still the same. I could hardly hear him over the phone, but I could feel him in my heart. We chatted a long time, mostly about music.

I am sorry, I missed the news of his passing, (found only out today), but when I think back, I think I was extremly lucky and fortunate to have had Trubitt in my life.

He was true to himself and to all people he touched. With his incredible sense of humor, soulful music, he was one of the biggest inspirations for me as a student and echoing to this day.

Thanks Trubitt!

Love,

Adriana Peggi Eveline Ratsch-Rivera

Anonymous said...

I was a young kid when I knew Dr. Trubitt, as a violin student of Janice. I don't have a lot to say about him, but he was a man that I always deeply respected because of the way he treated me and others. There was just something about the way he carried himself, something in his eyes that let me know he cared, even if we hardly spoke. I am glad I was able to attend his memorial and learn more about his extraordinary life. Love and thanks to Dr. Trubitt and his family.

Kalani

Anonymous said...

In memory of Dr. Allen Trubitt

As Dr. Allen Trubitt’s former student from PR China, I came to the Music Department of the University of Hawai’i at Manoa in the spring of 1991. Although it’s more than ten years since I left Hawaii in 1994, my feelings for Dr. Trubitt have not changed at all, who gave me tremendous help, love, and encouragements during my four-year study at the UHM. I still remember that when I first arrived at the airport of Honolulu from China after the Christmas of 1990, I was surprised to find Dr. Trubitt there, graduate chair at the time of the Music Department, waiting to meet me and greet me with a lovely lei of Hawaiian aloha tradition. During my following four years in UHM, Allen Trubitt remained my most trusted mentor and friend. Whenever I had questions and problems, I went to him for help. He was always available for me and ready to listen to me with patience, making me feel that he was just like my father. One thing keeps coming to my recollection. Dr. Trubitt, when knowing that I didn’t have a computer to do homework, gave me his key to his office and let me use his computer in the evenings and over weekends. And he even came to his office some evenings when I was not there to help me correct the grammar mistakes in my papers and edit my papers. But he never even said anything about it. And when I graduated in 1994, it was also him who encouraged me to pursue a Ph.D. degree. It was in UHM that I met some of the kindest people in the world, people who help others for nothing, and he was one of them. The kind of intimacy I cherished with Hawaii is all due to these people.
I had been longing to go back to Hawaii for a visit, because I missed these people so much. When our schedule for a visit to Hawaii was finalized, my wife and I took days shopping for gifts for Allen Trubitt. These days were filled with longing and excitement. But I received one of the biggest blows I’d had when I heard from Dr. Takeo Kudo, one of Dr. Trubitt’s closest colleagues, that Trubitt had passed away. I couldn’t accept the news at first. I never expected that on January 27, 2009 I had to go to visit Dr. Trubitt in such a way. I went to visit him at Punchbowl National cemetery right after I arrived in Honolulu airport. I never expected that instead of gifts I bought for him, I brought to him a pair of small delicate statues of stone lions from China, which, in Chinese tradition, are presented to the beloved who have passed away in memory of them. Allen’s wife, Janice Trubitt, was with me. I couldn’t express enough how much Allen Trubitt has meant to me. But at that moment, what I could say to this old man whom I had been missing for a long time was “Dr. Trubitt, I was too late!” I truly believe that many of his students share my feeling for him, because to his students, he was wisdom, love, and passion …

Dr. Min Wang
Prof. at Xiamen University
PR China

Anonymous said...

I was thinking about Dr. Trubitt today and googled him - so sad to find he is gone. Love this blog. Allen Trubitt was the Music Dept chair when I enrolled as an adult returnee to the cello in the Music Performace Program in 1978. Oh, he was tough on me - warning that most adult returnee's do not have the patience etc and that the stats showed I would probably drop out. I assured him strongly that I was not one of those (and secretly determined to prove him wrong even tho I had three girls under 5). Well, I stayed in the program until summer of 1981 when my husbands work took us to California. I first studied with Beverly LeBeck and then with Allen after she left Honolulu. I learned so much from him - not just cello technique but attitudes in life. He helped me stage a farewell recital - presented me with a maile lei and told me that he remembered what he said to me in the beginning and that I had made it and could do anything I want now with the cello. I have never forgotten him and the positive impact he had on my musical life. I am currently with a "new age" ensemble in Southern Arizona - still lovin the cello! So glad to have known Dr Allen Trubitt!

Rebecca Wu said...

Dr, Trubitt was my music theory professor at University of Hawaii Music Dept. in 1985 for one semester. But his impact on my life lasted a life time. Of all the teachers I ever had from age 3 to 27 which cover preschool to graduate school, he was the most generous and kind teacher one can ever dream of or hope for. Dr. Trubitt started to care and chat with me when I was failing in theory while getting an “A” in sightsinging and sightreading. From then on, he helped me whenever I needed help in whatever situations that came up. He was a mentor, an advisor, and a friend to me in the 4 yrs that I spent at UHM.

When I needed help in English, he gave me an old dictionary and listened and corrected me as I practice to improve my pronunciation and grammar. When I got interested in cello and wished to learn that for my own pleasure, he taught me for free because he knew I didn’t have money for private lessons. When I was preparing for the piano recital, he encouraged me and asked me how things were coming along. His presence at the recital and the congratulatory words afterward were most heartfelt. Dr. Trubitt encouraged me to continue my education in the mainland in the area of music therapy so I can learn to be more independent and mature. He wanted me to see the world outside of what I am familiar with in Hawaii and he think that would be the best for me, which he was right. He wrote recommendation letters for me that show how much he believes in me, which was one of the best gifts I have ever received from a teacher. When I got married, he came to our wedding to wish us the best and wrote a touching letter to my husband which I still treasure today. The letter gave my husband the best advice on how to be a good husband and it also shows how deeply he cared about me. I left Hawaii almost 20 years ago, but have visited almost once a year because my family was still in Hawaii. Each time I returned, I make sure I visit Dr. Trubitt because he meant that much to me, first at UHM, then at the park, restaurant, or at his home after his retirement. Our roles have changed over the years and the topics we discussed changed as our life stages have changed. His memory is outstanding and he always asked about me, my music therapy work, and my family each time we visited. As Parkinson’s disease took its toll on Dr. Trubitt, we talked about that more because my Dad suffered the same disease. Although he has suffered a lot from the disease, Dr. Trubitt was not bitter and he still cares about people around him. I had the privilege to visit him one last time in May 2007 at Arcadia and I will always treasure all the times we have spent together in the past two decades.

Reading from what everyone else has written about Dr. Trubitt on the blog, I have the privilege to experience all of that too as I am one of the many lucky students whose path has crossed with Dr. Trubitt. We all benefit from his help, his caring, his sound advice, his humors, twinkle in his eyes, his laugh, and his wisdom. Dr. Trubitt gave himself to the students unselfishly for years and never asked for anything in return. It was so genuine and natural for him to do that, he must be the most popular professor at UHM. My piano professor Paul Lyddon once commented to me that Dr. Trubitt is truly a gem and I didn’t quite understand that expression? Professor Lyddon then explained to me that a gem stone is so precious and rare that you only find one in a million. That is the best description of what Dr. Trubitt means to me as he has been a gem to many countless people that he has touched. The only favor I can return is to try to live my life like what Dr. Trubitt has taught me through his examples. I hope his legacy will live on through people he has impact on, like me. If I ever received compliments about being generous and kind to others, that is because I had a great teacher and I am just passing on what I have learnt. Dr. Trubitt, you will always be my mentor and in my heart.

Rebecca Wu (also known as Becky Tsang to Dr. Trubitt)

Lisa Trubitt said...

Dear Bloggers,

Since my dad's death over a year ago, it has been my good fortune to learn so much more about Allen's life as a teacher through all of you. Please know that your comments about my dad's life are deeply meaningful to his children. I hope you will continue to tell us stories about Allen's good works, and let us know him as you did. We knew him as our dad, not as your teacher, and it is so special to learn more about this important aspect of his life. Thank you so much for sharing and I hope you'll keep telling us more!

Aloha,
Lisa Trubitt

Yeaji Suh said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Yeaji Suh said...

Dear Allen,

It did not occur to me that the last time I saw you in 2006 in your frail state would be the last time I would see you in this world.

I really did not think that'd be the last time.

I came back to visit my mother a few years later, and tried to look for you, and just found out you are gone. How silly of me to think that you'd always be with me?

But you are not gone. You will be with me, as you've been, vibrant, full of live, full of love.

I want you to know that you still live on with me and my memories. You have been one of the most important people in my life.

I know you already know this, but I am doing well. I have finished my studies, and I have become what you've wanted me to become, well, closer than before.

Allen, be well, and we'll still stay in touch.

With much love and gratitude,

Carolyn So

ps I'll see if I'll have much luck trying to find your grave. I'll see you then!

Bill Hamilton said...

I entered Dr. Trubitt's name in my search engine to see where he was and I was so sorry to read that he had passed on. I was a theory student of his when he taught at Indiana State Teachers College in Pennsylvania 1959-61.
What a wonderful individual! He gave me such a firm foundation in theory and dictation. Furthermore a number of his works were performed on campus and as a member of the Concert Choir I had the pleasure of performing them.
I should point out that our theory classroom was the former kitchen of a large Victorian home, under an organ studio, next to a music history classroom, across from a trombone studio, and above the student lounge. Taking dictation became a real challenge.
Perhaps my favorite Trubitt story has to do with the birth of one of his children (Who was born around December in Indiana?) He was inviting our class to his home for some holiday socializing. I can still hear him saying that he wanted us to come out and "wonder at the child". He described where he lived and said we would find a star over the door. We were all laughing so hard.
After I earned my masters and had a good high school choir, I wrote to him in Hawaii requesting permission to perform his "Three Songs on the Shortness of Life". He said yes and it was a wonderful experience for all who were involved.
I was very fortunate to have know and studied with him.
Bill Hamilton
Indiana University of PA, 1963

Caroline Bennet said...

I was recently working through exercises from a book on creativity, Artist's Way, and listed three champions of my creative self-worth. Dr. Trubitt, who was my composition teacher in 1992 at UH Manoa, was one of them, and so I decided to look him up and found this page. I am so sorry to find that he has passed away but also encouraged to read the many wonderful stories about how he gave of himself generously to so many students. What stays with me from Dr. Trubitt is not any one statement or encouragement but just an overall feeling I received from him. I think it was his attentiveness that made me feel like my compositions were important. He put as much care into analyzing how they could be improved as he would with his own works. I still play the solo guitar piece that he helped me with- he taught me how to shape it so that it was much more fulfilling to listen to. Although there were many things I needed to learn, he never made me feel like I was lacking in any way. I never doubted myself or my compositions during my time with him, but just got busy with the work of improving them. He said that my guitar piece was bursting out of its format as a solo guitar piece, that it wanted to be a chamber ensemble piece for louder instruments such as trumpet- he expressed himself so well that everything came to life when he spoke. He was not just a teacher, but was aware of one's life and gave advice from his keen insights. Once when he saw me eating cookies from the vending machine at lunchtime he told me that I wouldn't be healthy if I ate like that. Another time he told me not to marry someone who didn't come to my recitals- I wish I had listened to his advice. My lessons with him were on Mondays at noon and once a month the practice emergency siren would go off in the middle of our lesson. This always angered him, for he believed the siren was a remnant of the cold war. I feel lucky that I had the chance to get to know Dr. Trubitt and I wish all his family well with their lives and musical endeavors.