TomPeashey Posted January 25, 2009 Share Posted January 25, 2009 While we often pay tribute to the many characters that make up the drum corps family, if you would indulge me today, I would like to pay special homage to someone who some of you know but I hope all will appreciate. 40 years ago today, Karen Wilshire became Mrs. Tom Peashey. She was not a drum corps person but was not unaware of our crazy activity as we were introduced (Set Up!) by her boss - Gabe Fabrizio of the Fulton Gauchos, Syracuse Brigadiers and Rochester Crusaders. Never in 40 years did she ask me to stop doing drum corps and I assure you there were times when she SHOULD have demanded it. She has tolerated this crazy activity for these full 40 years. It saw her and her three babies uprooted from the hometown of Oswego, NY and moved to drum corps crazy Rochester. She survived the 70's and the long hours toiling at Vince Bruni's side. She survived the 80's as I galavanted off every weekend judging drum corps and band shows. She survived the 90's as our lives were turned upsidedown by the demands of being corps director of a major corps and she survived being dragged off to Seattle in 2005 - a million miles away (well 3000 at least)... Never did she complain... Never did she say "enough is enough"... Always supportive - a wonderful mother and the perfect grandmother... My true drum corps hero... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoeSop1 Posted January 25, 2009 Share Posted January 25, 2009 Tom, What can I say? 40 years is certainly a benchmark. You have something very special! All the best to you Karen. To 40 more years of happiness! *raises glass* Joey Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rayfallon Posted January 25, 2009 Share Posted January 25, 2009 Tom, What can I say? 40 years is certainly a benchmark. You have something very special! All the best to you Karen. To 40 more years of happiness! *raises glass* Joey 40 years!!! Man, are you old!!! Congratulations... now I know why you're so good with words... one woman for 40 years - you'd better be!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Donny Drum Corps Posted January 25, 2009 Share Posted January 25, 2009 Congrats Tom...and you are right (Karen putting up with YOU for that long is amazing). DA Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
heavyrifleguy Posted January 25, 2009 Share Posted January 25, 2009 While we often pay tribute to the many characters that make up the drum corps family, if you would indulge me today, I would like to pay special homage to someone who some of you know but I hope all will appreciate.40 years ago today, Karen Wilshire became Mrs. Tom Peashey. She was not a drum corps person but was not unaware of our crazy activity as we were introduced (Set Up!) by her boss - Gabe Fabrizio of the Fulton Gauchos, Syracuse Brigadiers and Rochester Crusaders. Never in 40 years did she ask me to stop doing drum corps and I assure you there were times when she SHOULD have demanded it. She has tolerated this crazy activity for these full 40 years. It saw her and her three babies uprooted from the hometown of Oswego, NY and moved to drum corps crazy Rochester. She survived the 70's and the long hours toiling at Vince Bruni's side. She survived the 80's as I galavanted off every weekend judging drum corps and band shows. She survived the 90's as our lives were turned upsidedown by the demands of being corps director of a major corps and she survived being dragged off to Seattle in 2005 - a million miles away (well 3000 at least)... Never did she complain... Never did she say "enough is enough"... Always supportive - a wonderful mother and the perfect grandmother... My true drum corps hero... Hey, Tom, the way I figure it-she must have been about 10 or 11 years old when you got married-isn't there some sort of a law against that? Seriously-congratulations and thanks for putting into words what lots of us have thought but haven't written down. Best to you both. Gary Richardson Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zarblap Posted January 25, 2009 Share Posted January 25, 2009 Happy Anniversary,,Who could ask for more.. a full life of drum corps and and a wonderful marriage,,I'm envious to say the least,,and very happy for you both,as the memories mount, as the years continue.. Doug Beecher Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OldStyleCorps Posted January 25, 2009 Share Posted January 25, 2009 (edited) ................... Seriously-congratulations and thanks for putting into words what lots of us have thought but haven't written down. Best to you both. Gary Richardson THANK YOU Gary! You said EXACTLY what I was going to. AND to: TOM ( & Karen). CONGRATS. The Best to you BOTH. AND to: Nancy (MY WIFE) Thank YOU for being there from "your" first Practice with me in the Golden Knights Sr. Corps (Summer '75). To the NYC Skyliners, Florida Brass, and Heat Wave. To Now with with both the New York Skyliners Alumni and the SJ Vagabonds! For 34 years!!!!!!!!! Edited January 26, 2009 by OldStyleCorps Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KeithHall Posted January 25, 2009 Share Posted January 25, 2009 Tom, I envy you! I wish that I could have had many years with the same woman, but I had to wait till I was 43 to find the right woman. Susan doesn't get into drum corps but realizes that this is what I have done since I was 9 years old (40 years ago...hmmm). You do have a perfect gem and I know that you have treasured that gem for a long time. You are lucky but I think Karen maybe more lucky. While we often pay tribute to the many characters that make up the drum corps family, if you would indulge me today, I would like to pay special homage to someone who some of you know but I hope all will appreciate.40 years ago today, Karen Wilshire became Mrs. Tom Peashey. She was not a drum corps person but was not unaware of our crazy activity as we were introduced (Set Up!) by her boss - Gabe Fabrizio of the Fulton Gauchos, Syracuse Brigadiers and Rochester Crusaders. Never in 40 years did she ask me to stop doing drum corps and I assure you there were times when she SHOULD have demanded it. She has tolerated this crazy activity for these full 40 years. It saw her and her three babies uprooted from the hometown of Oswego, NY and moved to drum corps crazy Rochester. She survived the 70's and the long hours toiling at Vince Bruni's side. She survived the 80's as I galavanted off every weekend judging drum corps and band shows. She survived the 90's as our lives were turned upsidedown by the demands of being corps director of a major corps and she survived being dragged off to Seattle in 2005 - a million miles away (well 3000 at least)... Never did she complain... Never did she say "enough is enough"... Always supportive - a wonderful mother and the perfect grandmother... My true drum corps hero... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Allen Posted January 25, 2009 Share Posted January 25, 2009 Tom, I envy you! I wish that I could have had many years with the same woman, but I had to wait till I was 43 to find the right woman. Susan doesn't get into drum corps but realizes that this is what I have done since I was 9 years old (40 years ago...hmmm). You do have a perfect gem and I know that you have treasured that gem for a long time. You are lucky but I think Karen maybe more lucky. Tom and Karen, congratulations. My wife Linda and I will be celebtating our 40th anniversary this year and as such I know how important it is to have a spouse that understands our crazy activity. It certainly helps that Linda and I met while we were both marching in St. Joe's. But that being said, we have a theory as to why we were able to stay together all these years. Given my crazy schedule with drum corps, marching band, colorguard, indoor percussion, etc., I'm not around half the time!!! In that way, a year in our activity is really only a half year in real time and although the calendar says we've been married almost 40 years, we've only been together literally only 20 years. So, in real years you've been married 40 years; in drum corps years you've only been together 20...you're practically newlyweds!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andyroo Posted January 25, 2009 Share Posted January 25, 2009 Tom and Karen, congratulations.My wife Linda and I will be celebtating our 40th anniversary this year and as such I know how important it is to have a spouse that understands our crazy activity. It certainly helps that Linda and I met while we were both marching in St. Joe's. But that being said, we have a theory as to why we were able to stay together all these years. Given my crazy schedule with drum corps, marching band, colorguard, indoor percussion, etc., I'm not around half the time!!! In that way, a year in our activity is really only a half year in real time and although the calendar says we've been married almost 40 years, we've only been together literally only 20 years. So, in real years you've been married 40 years; in drum corps years you've only been together 20...you're practically newlyweds!!! Congratulations Karen and Tom!!! Forty years is certainly a landmark, but it's around now that you really relax and begin to have some fun. It's been forty-five for Cynthia and I, but like so many others here, we met in drum corps - so she understands. Andy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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