Goldpin Posted June 11, 2011 Share Posted June 11, 2011 (edited) I've posted these in another thread, but perhaps this one is more appropriate. We've lost the following members since I aged out and I really think it's a kick in the head. I wasn't expecting this sort of thing to happen until at least 2017. Albert LaFlamme - Founder of the Spartans from Milford, NH (latterly from Nashua, NH) - 2015 Frank Bent - Baritone - 1998 Dennis Bishop -French Horn - 2007 Dennis Brodeur - French Horn - 2009 Paul Dorries - French Horn - 2009 Fay (Trombly) Demers - Colour Guard - 2014 Roger Duquette - Snare Drum - 2008 Gary Frye - Bass Drum - 2009 Linda (Edwards) (Foster) Gaffey - 2019 Peter Hokinson -Soprano - 1990(?) Audrey (Varney) Johnson -Colour Guard - 2006 Walter Lambert - Bass Baritone - 2021 Linda "Bunny" (Trombly) Martin - 2021 Paulette (Plante) Makowski - Colour Guard - 2012 Richard Makowski - Snare Drum - 2009 Douglas Middleton - Bass Baritone - 1974 John Mills - Bass Baritone - 1994 Sam Milne - Soprano - 2016 Donna (Condon) (Dibble) Philbrick - Soprano - 2015 Brenda (Trombly) Ross -Soprano - 2008 DorisAnn Middleton - Soprano - 2022 Gwen (Logan) Whitbeck - Colour Guard - 2023 Edited August 5, 2023 by Goldpin Add another cohort who passed away. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChgoVanguard Posted May 7, 2012 Share Posted May 7, 2012 I didn't know John personally, but his story is quite well known to us drum corps history buffs. It was a real tragedy. Des Plaines also lost two young ladies (Barbara Lutz and Jean Deal) who were hit by a car while walking home from corps practice that same year. Scotty Wild, who was a famed instructor with such corps as Cavaliers, Guardsmen, Des Plaines, Sky Ryders and Royal Crusaders, was the corps manager for Des Plaines in 1967, and he told me he was haunted by these tragedies. Scotty later went on to direct Minnesota Brass. Des Plaines also narrowly averted another tragedy when an airplane crashed into a hangar where the corps held rehearsals in 1968. Nobody from the corps was killed, but there were deaths on the plane. Hi, We were having this discussion on the Des Plaines Vanguard Facebook page in the last week regarding the tragedies of the Des Plaines Vanguard in an 18 month period. The person that started the Facebook page unfortunately made it exclusive to members of the corps only. Scotty Wild raised the question as he was having trouble remembering the girls names. Our brother John Gruber was killed on June 10, 1967. The two girls, Barbara Lutz and Jean Deal were killed on Memorial Day weekend, 1968. The North Central Airlines plane crashed into the Braniff hangar at O'Hare where we used to practice in the winter, on December 28, 1968. On that day, the boy guard was rehearsing. Several of the members of the boy guard were badly injured/burned and one boy, Ronnie Lee Pappas, died nine days later from injuries from that the crash. Those were very difficult days for the corps. Imagine having all these tremendous losses as a teenager. Just wanted to recognize Ronnie... Jane Gruber Sinclair Des Plaines Vanguard 1964-66 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChgoVanguard Posted May 7, 2012 Share Posted May 7, 2012 I've posted these in another thread, but perhaps this one is more appropriate. We've lost the following members since I aged out and I really think it's a kick in the head. I wasn't expecting this sort of thing until at least 2017. Frank Bent (Baritone) - 1998 Dennis Bishop (French Horn) - 2007 Dennis Brodeur (French Horn) - 2009 Paul Dorries (French Horn) - 2009 Peter Hokinson (Soprano) - Date unknown Audren (Varney) Johnson (Colour Guard) - 2006 Paulette (Plante) Makowski - (Colour Guard) - 2012 Richard Makowski (Snare) - 2009 Douglas Middleton (Bass Bari) - 1974 John Mills (Bass Bari) - 1994 Brenda (Trombly) Ross (Soprano) - 2008 It really is hard to see members lost...so sorry for the many losses. Nice of you to remember all of them here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChgoVanguard Posted May 7, 2012 Share Posted May 7, 2012 It is with great sadness that I have just learned this morning that my good friend from my days of marching with Canadian corps Mr. Ted Brazier has made his transition. R.I.P. my old friend. Hi Larry, I just saw this. With deep sympathy for the loss of a good friend from drum corps. thank yuou also for the posts about John. Jane Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KeithHall Posted May 7, 2012 Share Posted May 7, 2012 Nanci, what a great idea this is!Thank you for starting it. Hope I am not in this for a very long time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Northern Thunder Posted May 18, 2012 Share Posted May 18, 2012 Tomorrow will be the 42nd anniversary of what may very well be the single worst tragedy in drum corps history. I originally posted it in a separate thread 5 years ago: On May 19, 1970, six members of the Dukes of Oldbridge Junior Drum & Bugle Corps of Oldbridge, NJ were killed when the car in which they were riding collided with three others. The six were on their way to a Dukes corps rehearsal when the accident happened. Those killed were: James Bennett Laura Booth Deborah Dietz Patricia Dietz John Johnson Pamela Nolan The Dukes of Oldbridge had just 48 marching members that summer, so the loss of these six must have been unimaginable. The corps went on to compete in the Garden State Circuit that summer. Ironically, one of the musical numbers in the Dukes’ repertoire in 1970 was “Gonna Live Till I Die”. As the summer rapidly approaches... Everybody out there stay safe and drive carefully! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Goldpin Posted April 3, 2014 Share Posted April 3, 2014 (edited) I've posted these in another thread, but perhaps this one is more appropriate. We've lost the following members since I aged out and I really think it's a kick in the head. I wasn't expecting this sort of thing until at least 2017. Frank Bent (Baritone) - 1998 Dennis Bishop (French Horn) - 2007 Dennis Brodeur (French Horn) - 2009 Paul Dorries (French Horn) - 2009 Fay (Trombly) Demers (Colour Guard) - 2014 Peter Hokinson (Soprano) - Date unknown Audren (Varney) Johnson (Colour Guard) - 2006 Paulette (Plante) Makowski - (Colour Guard) - 2012 Richard Makowski (Snare) - 2009 Douglas Middleton (Bass Bari) - 1974 John Mills (Bass Bari) - 1994 Brenda (Trombly) Ross (Soprano) - 2008 DorisAnn Middleton (Soprano) - 2022 Edited December 20, 2022 by Goldpin Add another cohort who passed away. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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