Jean Hunter Tomat

Jean Hunter Tomat, 89, formerly of South Orleans passed away peacefully on May 20th in Thousand Oaks, California with her son Andy at her side.

Born in Lowell and raised in Chelmsford and New Jersey, she received undergraduate degrees from the Eastman School of Music and the University of Rochester, and a graduate degree from Columbia University. She performed as a marimba player, organist, as well as a classical singer.

During summers her lifelong love of sailing enabled her to serve as a camp counselor and sailing instructor at sailing camps on Cape Cod and the Girl Scouts Sailing Camp on Martha’s Vineyard.

She began her career in music education in Port Jervis, New York and then directing choirs at the Hartridge School for Girls in New Jersey, before moving on to the wonderful years she enjoyed teaching at the Riverdale Country School in New York City – where she met her husband Len Tomat – and then at the Hartt School of Music in Connecticut. She taught generations of musicians, Grammy award winning singers, and music educators.

She was one of the early innovators in music therapy having developed the first curriculum for teacher training in special education at Hartt, and then becoming a practicing music therapist for geriatrics and special education students. She was a co-author of “Learning through Music for Special Children and their Teachers”.

She and her husband Len met while leading a student production of Finian’s Rainbow at Riverdale – Len directed the acting, Jean directed the music – setting an example for their future life together with a shared love of travel, education, music, drama, family and friends.

They raised their son Andy in Connecticut and then enjoyed a 20 year retirement on Cape Cod. Jean was particularly active with the Federated Church of Orleans, Nauset Newcomers Book Club, and the Snow Library Lifetime Learning Program.

Following her husband’s passing in 2011, Jean headed west to the California Sunshine to be near her son and enjoy the life of leisure with newfound friends at an assisted living facility.

She leaves behind her son Andy along with cousins, nephews, nieces, friends and students. Her brother David pre-deceased her.

A memorial service celebrating Jean’s life will be held at the Federated Church of Orleans at the corner of Main Street and Meetinghouse Road in East Orleans at 10 a.m. on Saturday, June 13th. Her remains will be interred, as was her husband’s, in the Church's Memorial Garden.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Len & Jean Tomat Outreach Program at the Orleans Historical Society, P.O. Box 353, Orleans, MA 02653.