Kalle Nemvalts

July 24, 1948 - August 10, 2025

Kalle Nemvalts, aged 77, died on August 10, 2025, following a brief illness. He was a
39-year resident of Contra Costa County, living in the city of El Cerrito for nearly 30
years. He was born on July 24, 1948, in Augsburg, Germany, to Magda (Paap) and Karl
Nemvalts, of Estonia. In 1950 the family immigrated to the United States and settled in
Freeland, Michigan. Kalle wrote about his family and childhood in an essay about his father.

Kalle received a B.A. in mathematics from the University of Michigan and pursued
graduate studies at UC Berkeley, and later back at U of M. In Ann Arbor, he played
trumpet in a number of jazz bands, attended art school, and made many lasting
connections. He also met his future wife, Connie Williams. They moved together to the
Bay Area in 1986, and both established their careers at the University of California.

Together, Kalle and Connie formed a complementary, loving collaboration. They
explored North America by car on dozens of road trips and, since retirement, enjoyed
travel abroad; they adopted and loved a succession of rescued cats and dogs; they
laughed at the same things; and they made their residence a comfortable place to call
home. Many guests were welcomed there.

Kalle lived his life according to Buddhist principles, and received Lay Buddhist
Ordination (jukai) at the Berkeley Zen Center in the late 1990s. More recently, he was
also a diligent practitioner of Tai Chi and Qi Gong. Following his retirement from UC
Berkeley he was able to redouble his commitment to his life-long creative pursuits of
music – particularly trumpet and composition – and photography. In recent years he
especially valued the weekly sessions with like-minded musicians that he hosted in his
garage. Please enjoy some examples of his creativity that are available on his web site.

In addition to his wife, Kalle is survived by his sister Marju Berger, sister and brother-in-
law Tina and Kevin Budzinski, brother-in-law Scott Williams, and many nieces and
nephews. In remembrance of Kalle, the family suggests donating to nonprofits that
support artists or musicians, and/or to organizations devoted to medical research, such
as the Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation.

A memorial gathering will be held in the coming months.

Kalle Nemvalts, aged 77, died on August 10, 2025, following a brief illness. He was a 39-year resident of Contra Costa County, living in the city of El Cerrito for nearly 30 years. He was born on July 24, 1948, in Augsburg, Germany, to Magda (Paap) and Karl Nemvalts, of Estonia. In 1950 the familyContinue Reading

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In memory of Kalle, a wonderful , kind , and gifted person. May his memory be a blessing to all who knew him.Love Lynn and Dana

In Kalle's memory, from the his band-mates at Primavera. Thank you, Kalle, for all the good music and camaraderie.

A memorial tree was planted in memory of Kalle Nemvalts . Plant a Tree

Minu siiras kaastunne, Teile kõigile. Sellist teadet saada on väga kurb. Samas on mul selle üle hea meel, et Kalle sai ära käia Eestis, et me kohtusime ja saime mõne päeva koos veeta... Ain

Hope we will all be informed of the memorial. Lenny

In memory of a kind and loyal friend. Namaste, Kalle. Rest in peace.

A memorial tree was planted in memory of Kalle Nemvalts . Plant a Tree

Peace of mind is a call away. We’re here when you need us most.

DAMMIT - I've lost so many close friends in the last year and a half and many of them musicians. Kalle was a prince. One of the nicest people I've ever known and an incredibly unselfish musician . It was a joy to play with him and always fun to collaborate on the heads of tunes which is what can make the pairing of sax and trumpet such a joy. When I think of Kalle I always think of him laughing and that's the image I will carry with me.

I am fortunate go have known Kalle. We played music together nearly every Tuesday for the last five years. He was kind, welcoming and humorous and I always enjoyed his company. He will be missed.

Kalle was a fine musician and a lovely man. We played together on numerous occasions, both jazz and Brazilian. His passing is a terrible shock and his playing will be heartily missed by me and our musical community.

A memorial tree was planted in memory of Kalle Nemvalts . Plant a Tree

Please accept our deepest condolences for your family's loss.