WDCHOF Member Jim Cossetti Passes
World Drum Corps Hall of Fame member Jim Cossetti passed away peacefully on June 28 at age 73, following some very serious and long lasting medical issues. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame at ceremonies held in Scranton, Pennsylvania in 2002. He was also a member of the International Trumpet Guild, the Bugler’s Hall of Fame and the Pennsylvania Drum Corps Hall of Fame.
A celebration of life service will be held on Friday July 6, 2018 with visitation beginning at 10 am and service beginning at noon at the Maclean-Chamberlain Funeral Home, 339 West King’s Highway, Coatesville, Pennsylvania. Interment will be private.
In lieu of flowers, his family requests donations to help defray the cost of medical expenses incurred. Visit https://www.gofundme.com/james-v-cossetti-iii-memorial-fund to make a contribution.
He had an extensive background in performance, administration and instruction in the drum corps community. In 1975 he assisted with the formation of Archer-Epler, the first successful alumni corps. By serving on the steering committee of the Great Alliance of Seniors (GAS), and as its first president, he helped set the stage for enormous growth in alumni activity that took place over the following 20 years. He was director of Archer-Epler from 1988 through 1995.
He also assisted with the coordination of members for the Pride of Eastern Drum Corps, which performed twice at the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.
He was a soprano soloist with the Archer-Epler Musketeers and the Reilly Raiders/ Musketeers in the 1960s and with Archie’s Alumni Corps and then with the Reilly Raiders Alumni. He later performed with The Music Express Drum and Bugle Corps.
He was a strong tenor voice in the alumni chorus of the Musketeers and continued to sing with the New York Skyliners Alumni Chorus. He also performed with the Hawthorne Caballeros Alumni Chorus.
His career as a brass instructor began in 1964 at Archer-Epler and continued from 1969 through 1974 with Blue Rock. He taught the Musketeers’ horn line in the 1960s, ‘70s, ‘80s and ‘90s.
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.
