Earl Henry Pennington age 83 and resident of Somerville, MA died Thursday November 26, 2020 at Cambridge City Hospital.

He was born in Pittsburgh, PA on October 8, 1937. He graduated from Lincoln High School, Class of 1955. Following his graduation, he served in the US. Army Signal Corp in Germany. After receiving an Honorable Discharge in 1963, he moved to Washington, D.C. and worked for the U.S. Navy at the Pentagon. While there, Earl found a piano teacher who fueled his passion for music education. This inspired and guided him to attend the Berklee College of Music. He graduated with a major in Arranging and Composition, Class of 1970. His exemplary work during his 4 years prepared him for a faculty position with the college after graduation.

During the following years he taught theory and composition at Tufts University and Cambridge Adult Education Center. In 1981, Earl co-authored a book with James Oestereich entitled, “Improvising & Arranging on the Keyboard.”. He especially enjoyed teaching private music lessons and sharing his knowledge of the classical style and jazz arrangements. Earl’s students who ranged from beginners to advanced musicians greatly benefited not only from his musical knowledge but also from his inspiring and encouraging teaching style.

During his free time, he enjoyed walking the streets of Somerville learning about the history of the city he lived in for nearly 50 years. He joined a walking club and found new friends at national parks in the US and Europe. In the summertime, he played tennis. He developed into an excellent tennis player. One of his favorite outings was packing a lunch and taking a commuter train to Walden Pond. Thoreau said, “It’s not what you look at that matters, it’s what you see.” For Earl, it was a special place of solitary walks and peaceful meditation. He enjoyed a refreshing swim, reading a book and chatting with friends whom he met there.

We miss him greatly.

Due to the current restrictions, there will be no visitations.