Hall Of Fame Charter Associate Member Bob Bond Passes
World Drum Corps Hall of Fame (WDCHoF) charter associate member Bob Bond, one of the initial class of associates inducted in 2001, passed away November 4 at age 80. He had been active in drum and bugle corps operations on both sides of the Canada/United States border for more than half a century, serving in various performing, instructing, judging and administration positions with junior and senior competing corps and alumni corps. He was born in Toronto and later lived for many years in the Rochester area.
A celebration of his life will be announced at a later time. Drum corps was a full family commitment. His late wife Diana, an associate member of the WDCHoF inducted in 2002, also served as a performer, instructor and administrator for corps in Ontario and New York state beginning as a member of the colour guard in the Alpine Girls drum and bugle corps in Rochester. Two sons and a daughter marched with Garfield Cadets and Phantom Regiment.
Bob Bond first became involved in drum and bugle corps activity in the 1950s, beginning as a bugler in the Westhill Lions Club drum corps in Toronto.
He was a member of such top Canadian corps as Preston Scout House, Toronto Optimists, Jolly Jesters and Canadian Commanders. He also played soprano horn with New York Skyliners for three years before serving as business manager and drill manager of the Peterborough Crescendos. He was also the drill writer and drum major of Kawartha Kavaliers in the Peterborough area.
Moving back to New York state in 1979, he became director of the Greece Shoreliners in the Rochester area, and director of the Greece Cadets. He was a playing member and sometimes drum major for the Skyliners and Hawthorne Caballeros. He was a member of the administrative staff when the Empire Statesmen were founded by Vince Bruni in 1983. He also served on the administration staff again from 1999 to 2004.
He marched as drum major of Mighty St. Joe’s alumni corps during two separate periods. From 1981 to ‘89, he was a marching and maneuvering judge and consultant.
Predeceased by his wife and brother Barry he is survived by his brother Nelson (Marie) Bond, sons Kevin (Laney) Bond, Robert (Wendy) Bond, Jr., daughter Denise (Andrew) MacKinnon, three grandsons and two step-grandsons.
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 around the world. For more information, visit the website at wdchof.org
