It's a sad day in the gaming community, as it was revealed that seasoned composer Stan LePard passed away sometime last week. Fans of LePard's work are likely already familiar with the wide breadth of video games he served as composer for, but even those that don't recognize the name have likely heard his music. Well known for his work on titles like Destiny and Halo Reach, LePard's passing comes as a surprise even to those closest to him. Details are stills scarce and may remain that way for some time, but friends, family, and onlookers alike mourn his passing.
To name all the titles LePard has worked on would take quite some time, but he lent his talent to several popular games. Aside from his aforementioned work on Destiny and Halo Reach, he also composed pieces for Halo 3 ODST, Guild Wars 2, Fable 2, and more. A Veteran in his field, his presence in the world of video game composition will surely be missed.
Of course, while most see him as a prolific composer, he was also so much more than that. LePard's family and friends are especially affected by his loss, and in order to help with this, one of his colleagues is working on setting up a donation fund. This colleague is none other than Maclaine Diemer, another composer that worked on the soundtrack for Guild Wars 2 alongside LePard. In addition to mentioning a donation fund for LePard's family, he also goes on to heap much deserved praise onto the late legend.
In response to Diemer's tweet, other composers and members of the Seattle Game Audio community share stories about their experiences with LePard. These are all positive in nature, and share some common themes. For the most part, the consensus is that LePard played a huge role in making many fledgling and experienced composers alike feel welcome. Others talk about how his generosity and guidance helped to shape the early days of their careers. Even from the outside looking in, it seems clear that LePard was an outstanding person as well as an incredible composer and musician.
For those that want to keep up with LePard's story or contribute to the donation fund for his family, following Diemer seems to be the best way to do this. As a close friend and colleague, he is taking the helm on sharing LePard's story with the public and doing what he can to help ease the burden of LePard's family.