Obituaries

Atemu Aton, beloved Bay Area jazz musician and educator, passed away on March 25, 2020 after a battle with cancer.

Born on February 26, 1958, Atemu grew up with his family on the South Side of Chicago during the turbulent and restless 1960’s and ’70’s. As a young man Atemu changed his name to reflect the truth, beauty, and strength of his African ancestry. He continued infusing his life with grace and light through his creativity and love of Music, Truth, and Justice.

After graduating from Chicago State University with a BA in Music, Atemu moved to Boston to further his musical studies at Berklee College of Music, and went on to pursue a MA in Music Composition at New England Conservatory of Music.

Atemu dedicated his life to Music. He was a prolific jazz composer and bassist, playing gigs across Europe, Africa, and throughout the States with bands such as Boston Art Quartet,

Modern Times Quintet. Either/Orchestra, Sheer, The Aton Project, Light Henry Huff, and Against the Grain, among others. He performed throughout the Bay Area. His music is featured on CD’s recorded by artists he worked with as well as on those he released of his own original music. 

Atemu served the community as a lifelong teacher of Music to youth in our public schools. His teaching career began in Chicago and took him to St. Lucia V.I., Boston, Martha’s Vineyard, Tennessee, and the San Francisco Bay Area, where he was a founding faculty member and chairman of the Instrumental Music Department at Oakland School for the Arts (OSA) for over a decade. Atemu brought innovation and creativity to his leadership, implementing new programs such as OSA Combo and Drum Core (African drumming). He brought in renowned musicians to teach workshops and jam with the students, such as local percussionist John Santos, Grammy Award-winning bassist Victor Wooten, and legendary percussionist Pete Escovedo. Atemu also lent his hand to the school’s Musical Theater and Dance productions, directing the music for many shows over the years. Atemu resigned from OSA in 2014 to pursue other avenues of creative expression through Music. 

Atemu met his future wife of thirty years, Nora (Handel), in Boston, and after 10 years together they moved to Martha’s Vineyard, where they married and had their daughter, Kyla. It was their longing to be in a hub with an activist culture that drew them to the San Francisco Bay Area, where the family settled and has lived for the past 18 years. Their daughter from Atemu’s 

previous marriage, Nakhitut, resides in Atlanta with her husband and their four children. 

Atemu also leaves behind his mother, Louise, siblings Walter Jr., Fatimah, and Carolyn, and four grandchildren, Trey, Giovanni, Camia, and Kyrie, along with a host of loving nieces, nephews, cousins, in-laws, and many friends. Atemu was predeceased by his father, Walter Sr., and his brother Thoth. 

A Memorial Celebration was held virtually in December, 2020. The family requests that any 

donations be made to the Bay Area’s Fly Me to the Foon Scholarship Fund, named in honor of Neel Foon, a former Music student at Oakland School for the Arts. Donations will further the Musical education of our youth at OSA. For further info: www.ebcf.org/donate/flymetothefoon. 

Rest in peace and power, Atemu. You remain deeply loved and missed.