Departures of note

Walter Parazaider was born on March 14, 1945, in Maywood, Illinois, and began playing clarinet at age nine. He studied classical clarinet at DePaul University, earning a BA in performance.

In the late 1960s he co‑founded the band that would become Chicago, contributing woodwind parts such as saxophone, flute, and clarinet. He performed the iconic flute solo on the hit “Colour My World” and a soprano sax solo on “Just You ’n’ Me,” helping define the group’s brass‑rock sound.

Parazaider remained with Chicago through decades of touring and recording, receiving an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters from DePaul in 2008 and recognition from Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia. He retired from touring in 2017 due to a heart condition, later disclosed an Alzheimer's diagnosis, and died under hospice care on June 17, 2026, at age 81.