Funeral Services For Hall Of Fame Member Bill Lawler

Funeral services for World Drum Corps Hall of Fame member Bill Lawler, who marched with Upper Darby Post 214 drum and bugle corps, later known as the Musketeers, were held Monday, July 26 at St. Anastasia Roman Catholic Church, Newtown Square, Pennsylvania, with internment at Sts. Peter and Paul Cemetery following the service.

He had been inducted into the World Drum Corps Hall of Fame in 1990 and was also a member of the Pennsylvania Drum Corps Hall of Fame.

In addition to the Musketeers, he was also associated with a number of other Pennsylvania corps, including Blackwood Brigadiers, Media Fawns, Yearsley Cadets, John Wanamaker American Legion Post, Honeybrook senior corps, Sahler Sedan Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) senior corps and Westchester VFW seniors. He judged for both Drum Corps Associates (DCA) and the Mid-Atlantic Judges Association.

He performed with the Upper Darby Post 214 for seven seasons, from 1944 to 1950, as a soprano bugler. After retiring from competition for a few years, he rejoined the corps, now known as Archer-Epler Musketeers, in 1955. He retired from field competition in 1963 and began his musical instruction career with the Blackwood Brigadiers, continuing until 1974. In 1965, he also took on musical instruction duties with the Media Fawns and remained with them until 1976.

His judging activities began in 1956. He served as chief judge for the Mid-Atlantic Judges Association until 1975 and the Cavalcade of Bands until 1980. He also served as marching and manoeuvring and chief judge for the International Music Festival from 1974 through 1980 and chief judge for DCA from 1973 through 1979. He is also a member of the Pennsylvania Drum Corps Hall of Fame.

Archer-Epler Musketeers originated on April 18, 1932, when VFW Post 979 of Upper Darby, Pennsylvania formally organized a junior drum and bugle corps. The corps was re-organized as a senior unit following World War II, and staged many classic competitions with Philadelphia’s Reilly Raiders throughout the 1950s.