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Rod Backman
1950-2019
In Loving Memory
Rod Backman, 69, died June 21, 2019. Born in Salt Lake City to Ralph and Grace Backman, he is survived by his wife, Carole Korelin; his daughter, Kim Bennett, grandchildren Braden and Johnelle, and sisters Carol Munro and Jill Jones.
Rod started playing the upright bass in 6th grade and never stopped performing. For 40 years, he has been playing classical, rockabilly, bluegrass, and gypsy jazz in Seattle. Rod recently retired from the King County Library, where he was a proud member of ASCHME Local Union 1857.
Published in Salt Lake Tribune on July 14, 2019
https://www.legacy.com/obituaries/saltlaketribune/obituary.aspx?n=rod-backman&pid=193382253
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We lost our dearest Rod Backman, on the summer solstice, 2019. He was a hugely generous and positive force in the world and in our lives. Rod made a beautiful life that was full to the brim with friends, family, music, food, gardening, mountains, canyons, travel, social justice, scrabble and sleeping-in. We, his friends and family, have lived, loved, and laughed more deeply because of him. He will be profoundly missed. His presence in our lives is acutely felt and cherished.
Born in 1949, in Salt Lake City, Utah, Rod was the youngest of five children. In the 6th grade, Rod started his life-long music career playing the upright bass. He played bluegrass, rock-a-billy, gypsy jazz, and classical music. Rod lived in San Francisco, northern California, and Guadalajara, where he played in the symphony. Seattle was his home for nearly forty years. Rod had a long career at the King County Library, where he was a proud and active member of the AFSCME Local Union 1857.
He is survived by his wife, Carole Korelin; his daughter, Kim Bennett, and grand children, Braden and Johnelle; his sisters, Carol Munro and Jill Jones; by a whole gaggle of nieces and nephews, official and honorary; his best friend, Scott Spadafora, and by a vast community of friends, musical and not so musical, who are singing and dancing Rod's praises.
He was preceded in death by his parents Ralph and Grace Backman, his siblings Joan Kirkham and Mac Backman, and his nieces, Robyn Leary Mancini, and Jan Duncan.
Published in The Seattle Times on July 7, 2019
https://www.legacy.com/obituaries/seattletimes/obituary.aspx?n=john-rod-backman&pid=193335437 https://www.legacy.com/obituaries/seattletimes/obituary.asphttps://www.legacy.com/obituaries/saltlaketribune/obituary.aspx?n=rod-backman&pid=193382253
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Kristen Welling (Beckstead)
Comment by Doug Mortensen
With sadness I report that our classmate Rod Backman died last month, on Summer Solstice. He had been living in Seattle. A brief obituary appeared in the Salt Lake Tribune a few days ago. You may have missed it because it used his first name (John) in front of Rod. A full obituary appeared in the Seattle Times on July 7. It reveals he lived a very active, adventurous life.
Rod played the upright bass in our high school orchestra and dance band and continued playing throughout his adult life - classical, rockabilly, bluegrass and gypsy jazz. At one time he played in the Guadalajara symphony.
Rod was a friendly, upbeat guy. He was always comfortable to be around. I talked to him a couple of weeks before our 50 year reunion last Summer. He said he really wanted to attend the reunion but felt he had to honor a previous commitment to play a gig that weekend.
I am glad I had a chance to reconnect with him. I have fond memories of playing in the dance band with him.
Kathleen Claire Pugh (Walker)
I could never think of Rod Backman without seeing him with an "upright bass". Just the name "Rod Backman" made you think of the bass. And, if he went to Ensign Elementary School, I must have been there when he first started playing it. He was always a very nice, pleasant fellow and I'm so sorry to hear that he has passed. It sounds like he had a wonderful life after he left East and we're all happy about this. My deepest condolences to the family.
KC (Pugh) Walker