ajlisko Posted July 23, 2014 Share Posted July 23, 2014 >> Gene Bennett ... The embodiment of grace and class. Helped bring Sunrisers, an organization he loved, back to legitimacy in the 70s. << One of the true gentlemen of drum corps ... one of those faces you'd swear you saw at every show you've attended ... always a smile ... always a kind greeting ... a sideline buddy to hang on a fence with and just "remember when" ... a friend to all ... RIP, Gene 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fran Haring Posted July 23, 2014 Share Posted July 23, 2014 What Ray and Andy have said. He was absolutely one of the best people I've ever met. I saw Gene (as it turned out, for the final time) at the Wildwood DCA show this year in June. I had laryngitis, and could barely whisper. I walked up to him, we shook hands as usual... and then I rasped to him, "This time YOU get the last word!!!" He laughed that huge Gene Bennett laugh. A great man, and true legend in the marching music activity. May he rest in peace forever. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jimbalaya Posted July 23, 2014 Share Posted July 23, 2014 just to support what Ray, Andy and Fran said.....Gene was a friend and mentor to all. He liked sharing thoughts and views with all and I knew Gene as a judge who mentored me in visual aspects of judging.....he ill be missed by all who knew him and for those that did not have the pleasure to meet him: please say a prayer for Gene and his family for he truly was a man put on this earth by God to educate and share his love for this activity............Godspeed Gene.....you will be missed.....love ya Guido 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rayfallon Posted July 23, 2014 Share Posted July 23, 2014 Folks probably know this about Gene, who was/is an engineer: I went downstairs in his home to see his "workshop" where he and Ray Schearer wrote Sun's drills. He had a huge pegboard lined off as a scale model football field, hanging from the ceiling on a 45 degree angle, and peg holes at every step on the football field. 120 or so peg people in Sun colors. Different colors for the guard peg people. No fatties, but if he could have gotten them I'm sure he would have used them for reality's sake. A Camera suspended from the ceiling to give him the view from the judges' box in Allentown. Photographed each count of the show, moving each peg one step in the direction the drill was charted. 30 years or so before software was invented to do this, and about 10 years before computers could do much beyond "Pong" games, Gene built his own tech. My favorite quote from the decades I've known Gene? "Fallon, you HAVE TO BE the worst marcher I've ever encountered. Not even close!" Gene knew stuff like that. He is a perfectionist. Frank said to me earlier, "Words are useless" and he's right, but for some people you have to do what you can with words because they're bigger than the moment. Bigger than the activity. We are all diminished by his loss. Yet another day of wiping tears at my desk. Getting old is overrated. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fish66 Posted July 23, 2014 Share Posted July 23, 2014 >> Gene Bennett ... The embodiment of grace and class. Helped bring Sunrisers, an organization he loved, back to legitimacy in the 70s. << One of the true gentlemen of drum corps ... one of those faces you'd swear you saw at every show you've attended ... always a smile ... always a kind greeting ... a sideline buddy to hang on a fence with and just "remember when" ... a friend to all ... RIP, Gene I can only echo this sentiment..........one of the good guys, RIP 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gsksun4 Posted July 23, 2014 Share Posted July 23, 2014 I only knew Gene from our marching years with the Sunrisers. Believe he was the guard captain at the time, but received respect from all members. He was a leader and a gentleman and always worked tirelessly to see us become a better corps. Very sad to hear this today. May he rest in peace. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ironlips Posted July 23, 2014 Share Posted July 23, 2014 Perhaps we should move this over to another thread, for the sake of the rest of the drum corps community. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ray Priester Posted July 23, 2014 Share Posted July 23, 2014 I can't add a thing to what everyone else has said. He was a good man, a reliable judge and always a smile and a good word. I wasn't as close to him as others have been, but I will miss him. May he rest in peace! sigh!!!!! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rayfallon Posted July 24, 2014 Share Posted July 24, 2014 Perhaps we should move this over to another thread, for the sake of the rest of the drum corps community. i'm not allowed on other threads. I get in trouble. I keep almost telling people what I think. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GUARDLING Posted July 24, 2014 Share Posted July 24, 2014 RIP Gene, it's all been said. All I will say is that my time with you on staff were some of the best times. One could only learn from Gene, both in drum corps as well as a human being. RIP Gene So many great's gone 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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