. Billy VerPlanck passed away in Hackensack Hospital on Tuesday, June 2, 2009. A mass will be held on Friday, June 5th at 10:30am, St. Clare`s Church, 31 Allwood Rd, Clifton NJ. Internment is at Mount Olivet Cemetery, Bloomfield.

Known as Billy throughout the music world, he was born in Norwalk Ct. in 1930 He began his musical career at age fifteen playing trombone with the Jess Stacey Band. He went on to play and write arrangements for all the big bands (Charlie Spivak, Claude Thornhill, Jimmy Dorsey, Charlie Barnet), of his generation, culminating his road days with his idol, Tommy Dorsey. For the next forty years he was one of the busiest studio arrangers and conductors in New York, writing every thing from jingles, films, documentaries, record dates, as well as producing 20 cd`s for his wife, Marlene VerPlanck. His passion for music was all consuming and he never wrote an indifferent note in his life.

Among his other interests he loved life, traveling the world with his wife, enjoying great food and wine, the New York Mets, his country and his fellow man. He was a diehard advocate of free enterprise and tried to convert anyone who would listen to his beliefs. Details of Billy`s career can be found at: www.marleneverplanck@aol.com. Click on Billy`s page.
Billy is survived by his wife, Marlene, of 52 years, his sister in law, Barbara Marshall, his brother in law, Phil and his wife, Arlene Pampinella and extended nieces, nephews and cousins. A sister Anne Durland preceeded him in death in 2008.

In honor of Billy`s love of jazz, a scholarship has been established at William Paterson University. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the J. Billy VerPlanck Jazz Scholarship Fund: c/o Office of Institutional Advancement. William Paterson University, 300 Pompton Road, Wayne, NJ 07470 .