Hundreds of people came to the Moore Theater Thursday night, Aug. 13, to celebrate the life of former Des Moines resident and Mt. Rainier High graduate Tom Pfaeffle.
Pfaeffle was a Black Diamond sound engineer and teacher at the Art Institute of Seattle.
Pfaeffle, who was 49, died after he was shot at a hotel in Twisp on July 17. He was he was on vacation with his family.
The alleged shooter, Kino Michael Gomez, has been charged with second-degree murder and aggravated assault. Pfaeffle was shot after putting his room key into the wrong door, Twisp police said.
The Seattle Times reported Gomez's attorney, Michael Haas, told Okanogan County Superior Court Judge Jack Burchard on July 20 that Gomez was sleeping with two handguns and began shooting when he woke up because he thought someone was coming into his room.
Pfaeffle worked with many music groups including "Nirvana," "The Black Crowes," "Heart" and "Queensryche. "
He also operated a recording studio in Black Diamond called The Tank. He spent 30 years in the music industry touring and working with bands as a sound engineer as well as teaching and recording.
Former Highline School Board president Matt Pina, who was Pfaeffle's classmate at Mount Rainier, said Pfaeffle went to the college of hard knocks.
"He paid his dues and earned his respect-- nobody gave it to him," Pina declared.
Pfaeffle's love for music started early, lifelong friend Tim Moeller said.
Pfaeffle and their group of friends were all gaga over rock and roll since they were kids, according to Moeller.
Pfaeffle played the guitar in a band with Moeller called the "Bolders," composed of a group of friends who all went to Mount Rainier.
Tom Emmons, also in the band, said Pfaeffle gave up the guitar fairly early and turned to sound mixing. Pfaeffle never felt confident about his ability to play Emmons said, so he turned toward sound engineering to channel his passion for music.
"Tom's gift was his ear," Pina said. "When you worked with him he would hear something and tell you what was missing."
Matt Moeller, Tim's younger brother, said he would hang out with his brother's friends all the time.
And while most of them acted annoyed having him around, Matt said Pfaeffle always made him welcome and treated him like one of the group.
Bands "Random Manner" and "Queensryche" performed at the memorial.
Don Short, singer and guitarist for "Random Manner" related how after working with them Pfaeffle thanked him for letting him be a part their journey.
Short then said, "I think I speak for all of us when I say 'thank you for letting us be a part of was yours.'"
Short said he met Pfaeffle years ago when he was in the band "Avolon" and Pfaeffle was their sound engineer.
Pfaeffle and Short recently got back in touch after many years apart and "Random Manner" ended up recording an album last summer in his studio.
Heart guitarist Roger Fisher said at the memorial that Pfaeffle spiritually was a very beautiful person--a sentiment shared by many people who knew him.
Singer Aury Moore said that Pfaeffle was everybody's best friend.
"If you met him you would leave feeling like you were his best friend," she concluded.