Canadian Drum Corps Leader Maurice Legault Passes Away
Maurice Legault, a World Drum Corps Hall of Fame member since 1999 and one of the leading figures in the Canadian drum and bugle corps movement for more than five decades, passed away in his 84th year at St. Patrick’s Home in Ottawa, Ontario on September 12, surrounded by his family.
Friends and relatives were able to pay their respects to the family at a service in his memory held at St. Ignatius Martyr Church in Ottawa at 10 am on September 15. Condolences and tributes may be directed to Hulse, Playfair & McGarry Funeral and Cremation Services, at www.hpmcgarry.ca
He first became interested in drum corps activity in the Ottawa area in 1948. He marched in front of La Salle Cadets of Ottawa as drum major from 1962 to 1968 then served as drum major for virtually all of the province of Quebec’s top-rated corps over the next 25 years, including Campagnons d’Embrun, Les Troubadours de Hull, Les Diplomates de Quebec, L’Odyssee de Montreal and Les Dynamiques de Buckingham. He also marched in front of Kingston Grenadiers, Rochester Crusaders and Syracuse Brigadiers in the 1980s and 1990s.
For six year, he taught horns, drums, and drill to La Salle Cadets. Over the years, he performed every function: music arranger, horn instructor, drill writer and marching instructor, drum major, corps director, business manager, show organizer, fundraiser. He even drove the corps bus from time to time.
He was the recipient of the Ontario Award of Merit in recognition of his service to the drum corps movement in Canada. He was inducted into the Temple de la Renommee (Quebec drum corps hall of fame) in September, 1993. In 1990, he received a province of Ontario award of excellence in recognition of 15 years of youth work.
He and his wife Shirley (nee Mentzel), married for 58 years, had five children: Paul (France), Susan, Lynne (Gilles), Marc and Gilles (Laura) and 12 grandchildren. He is survived by his sister Pauline Amyot. He was predeceased by three brothers and three sisters.
Regular World Drum Corps Hall of Fame members are honored for their dedication, contributions and achievements over a long period of time in categories including administration, arranging, adjudication, instruction, innovation and design. Associate members have dedicated at least five consecutive years of service to any drum and bugle corps as a performer or in a support role.
The World Drum Corps Hall of Fame is a non-profit organization honoring those individuals who have contributed significantly over many years to the development and continuing excellence of drum and bugle corps activity. The organization also seeks to preserve the history of the drum and bugle corps movement in North America by selecting a noteworthy junior and all age (senior) corps of each decade since the 1940s.
