Trinity Cathedral
Episcopal Diocese of Arizona
Phoenix, AZ
Alan Keith DePuy was born in Torrance, California on May 31, 1966 to the late Donald Clinton DePuy and Melva Lynn DePuy. Born with an incredible gift of music, Alan was – at nine years of age – already a guest organist for Crystal Cathedral, in Garden Grove, California, being in the spotlight of national television frequently. He continued to appear on “The Hour of Power” until the age of 18. He continued his formal music education at Chapman University, where he received his Bachelor of Arts degrees in Organ Performance and Piano Accompaniment. He studied with Dr. William Hall, Dr. Ronald Huntington and Dr. Tanya Fleisher while at Chapman University. He continued his education in the graduate Organ Performance program at Arizona State University, where he studied with Dr. Robert Clark and Dr. Kimberly Marshall.
As a young organist, Alan played in numerous competitions and received four first-place honors in competitions sponsored by The American Guild of Organists. He also played concerts throughout the United States, Canada, Europe and Asia.
Alan was called to make music, but specifically, he was called to make music for the church. He shared his gift with churches across the country that he served, including First Christian Church, Fullerton, California; St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church, Newport Beach, California; Holy Family Cathedral, Orange, California; Trinity Cathedral, Phoenix, Arizona; St. Mark’s Cathedral, Seattle, Washington; St. Thomas Church, Coral Gables, Florida; and St. George’s Church, Germantown, Tennessee.
Alan’s talent and musical ability were tremendous and unparalleled; his passion for great music was always reflected in his willingness to share his incredible musical gifts with everyone – and his desire to awaken the love of music in even the most neutral observer. As tremendous as were his musical gifts, they could not overshadow his love for all humanity: Alan loved unconditionally and cared for everyone around him; wherever he went, his arms were always open in love. Even as we celebrate that Alan has passed into Resurrection light, and into the nearer presence of our God, we grieve the loss of him as a loving friend and supportive colleague, and the loss of his tremendous talent in the Church and in the world.
Alan is survived by his brother, Thomas DePuy, his nephew, Dylan DePuy, his sister-in-law, Susanne DePuy and many, many friends, colleagues, choir members and parishioners whose lives he touched in profound ways, whom he loved unconditionally, and who will always remember and love him.