Geoff Doring, singer and guitarist of Philly rock band Latimer, passed away last week at the age of 35. The details of his death have not been made public. Latimer was a fixture on the local scene in the mid-1990s, thanks to frequent live shows and a pair of memorable albums on the World Domination record label. Their sound was intense, but not stiflingly so. Even through several lineup changes, the band's sense of fun was constant.

In many ways the band took its cues from its handsome, hardworking frontman. Doring, who studied video at Alfred University in New York and was an expert carpenter to boot, could also be found barbacking at the Khyber Pass during Latimer's early days. The band—which at various times included bassist Dylan Cotton, drummer Rob Sherman, guitarist/singer Rich Fravel and guitarist Kevin Morpurgo, among others—followed his workmanlike lead. When they weren't playing the Khyber or Trocadero, many of them could be found at the door or doing sound.

Cotton started making music with Doring at Alfred, and later followed him back to Philly. He fondly recalls practicing with Doring (who always showed up with finished songs), playing shows in the U.K. and touring the country in a van. "It was really important [to us] and passionate. We really worked hard and lived brutally trying to really do it," says Cotton. "[Geoff] had a lot of vision. He knew what he wanted out of it. He was skilled, crafty."

"We spent a lot of time together in garages with amps and guitars," recalls Fravel. "We played so loudly that we rarely walked out of the practice space with our hearing intact. But it was an absolute pleasure to have my hearing destroyed by Geoff. He was a great guitar player and songwriter. In real life he was quiet and reserved but at the same time very funny and extremely giving."

Latimer called it quits in the late '90s, briefly resurfaced in 2000, and stopped playing for good in 2001.