Joseph "Joe" Chankin

Joseph “Joe” Chankin, age 75, of Grants Pass, died Friday, February 8, 2013 at his home.

A celebration of life will be held at a later date. Private inurnment will be at Hillcrest Memorial Park. Hull & Hull Funeral Directors are in charge of arrangements.

Remembrances may be made to your favorite charity.

Joe was born March 5, 1937 in Brooklyn, New York to Russian and Polish immigrants, Louis & Celia (Feldman) Chankin. At the age of nine, he moved with his family from New York to Southern California where he graduated from high school and majored in music at Los Angeles Community College. During the Korean Conflict he served in the United States Navy. On April 9, 1960 in West Covina, California he married Brenda Glass. While living in Anaheim he owned a music shop where he repaired woodwind and brass instruments and taught music lessons. During the weekends he was a professional musician playing with the Charlie Barnett Orchestra, Mills Brothers, Barbara McNare, Sherry Lewis & Lambchop, Nancy Wilson, and the Keystone Cops at Disneyland. In 1967 he moved from Anaheim to Grants Pass where he also owned and operated a musical instrument repair shop and taught lessons. Joe was active in many community music groups including Mood Swing, Southern Oregon Jazz Orchestra, Rogue Gold, High F'lutin Flute Choir, Grants Pass Community Band, Rogue Community College Jazz Band, Rogue Community College Orchestra, Southern Oregon Jazz Orchestra in Medford and was the originator and leader of the woodwind quintet called the Quintessential. Joe played music right up to the end of his life.

Since his youth, Joe loved motorcycles including street, dirt, exotic, and racetrack. He also restored motorcycles and once sold two exotic motorcycles to Johnny Depp while Johnny visited his shop on 6th Street.

Joe is survived by his wife, Brenda Chankin and two daughters, Samara Chankin and Benay Jada Chankin all of Grants Pass, Oregon.