Carl Leukaufe, the Chicago bebop vibraphonist who was hospitalized last month, died yesterday; he was 76.
Leukaufe entered Our Lady of the Resurrection Hospital July 25 with what was first thought to be pneumonia, then underwent surgery for a perforated bowel a week later. As subsequently reported here, his prognosis was guarded but good following the operation. But he proved unable to survive independently of a ventilator, reports his daughter-in-law Kim Leukaufe, and he died peacefully Wednesday night, with both of his children at his side.
Said Kim Leukaufe: “He had seemed to be doing better after the surgery and vent removal but he wasn't able to continue breathing on his own for an extended period. He's at peace and we are coping as well as can be expected. We take some comfort in knowing that he has joined his wife of 50+ years, Hazel, who passed away this past November. Thank [the Examiner.com] readers for all the prayers, kind thoughts and notes.”
Leukaufe had been scheduled for a rare public performance at the upcoming Chicago Jazz Festival, as part of a three-vibraphone group; that performance will now become a memorial to him. Funeral arrangements are pending.
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