The AA meets on the first Thursday of each month in the Members Lounge at 175 Dartnall Road.
Bob Saunders, Gary Zoskey, Wayne
Peters, Barney Bovard
AA members accompany the Drum Corps on away trips,
where feasible.
The AA promotes fund-raising activities of the
Drum Corps and lends a hand in running the Banquet Facility.
Full
Membership List
- Link to
a full list of past members of the Drum Corps 
3/28/06
Phil John passed away in September, 2004. Phil was a long
time member of the HFFDC. A bass drummer in the original "Colonel" line.
Phil had been in ill health for the past few years.
Ron MacIntyre Sr.
Mac passed away Friday, August 20, 2004
I am
John Bratschitsch, a 1 year member of the band (1976-1977), a 7 year Riley
(between 1969 and 19'76), and a RCSCC band member (1968-1969). My best
memories
are
from those days, and now I'm just a 50 year old corporate creature with
a lot of responsibility and no fun. I've been acquainted with a lot of
band members past and
present,
and I was a pretty good first soprano. I was actually one of the guys that
respected Roy Collins. My big mistake was giving up music to become an
infantry officer
(mainly
out of resentment because Collins passed me over for corporal). But I realized
my mistake when it came time to pay mess dues. Anyway, there are several
reasons
for this e-mail. One: I am not deceased, though I've had lots of fun telling
people that the internet says that I'm dead; Two: I think that I'd like
to attend the reunion,
but
I'm not sure that I qualify because I was in the Firefighters for only
1 year; and lastly, because I'm starting to believe the website about my
demise, and I'd like to be
present
at my wake in the event deceased mermbers are recognized more so than when
they were alive (more attention than I get at home).
Anyway, if I don't qualify as an alumni can you please correct your website so my mother can be assured that I am not dead, as such things are very upsetting to her? .
Best
Regards,
John
Bratschitsch
James Inrig Jr. "Jimmy", "The Colonel" passed away on Friday,
December 26, 2003.
Jimmy was the original percussion intsructor of the HFFDC. Jim continude
to instruct the Firefighters drum line abd compose all percussion music
for over thirty-five years. Jim was and "Honorary Member For Life" of the
HFFDC.
Jimmy produced top level drum lines for all of those years. The "Colonel"
was in the RHLI Bugle Band, The Viscounts Drum Corps and the Canadian Commanders
Drum Corps.
He will be sadly missed by many drummers across Canada and the U.S.A.
Ronald Falla Sr. passed away on Sunday, December 7, 2003, in
his 77th. year.
Ron was the original brass instructor of the Hamilton Firefighters
Drum Corps when it was started, in 1961 and one of its' founding members.
He was the first "non-firefighter" to be a member of the Corps. Ron served
as drum major in 1990 an 1991. He had a long and distinguished career in
the Royal Hamilton Light Infantry Bugle Band, serving as Bugle Major for
many years. Ron was one of the original members of the Viscounts Drum Corps.
Still serving member sof the HFFDC are Ron's son Ron Jr, his daughter-in-law
Laura Jean, his granddaughter Victoria and Mat Falla.
Ron had been an "Honorary Member For Life" of the HFFDC, an honor that
is not bestowed on very many people.
Dawn Marie Saunders gave birth to her second daughter, Emma, on Oct. 16th 2003, 7 lbs 7 ounces.
July 2, 2003 Josh Costa passed away in his 11th. year.
Josh was the beloved grandson of Jim Inrig, drum instructor of the
HFFDC for many years.
Jimmy wrote a new Drum Solo and named it "Struttin' With Josh", dedicated
to his grandson.
As a tribute to Jim & Josh, the 2004 GAS Ensemble drumline will
perform it at the 2004 Twentieth Anniversary GAS Reunion in Hamilton, In
may 2004.
Congratulations to Fred Uggenti,
long time past member of the HFFDC, who gave his youngest daughter, Leigh-Anne,
away on August 31 ,2002, to Michael Martinello.
Leigh-Anne's mother Vivian, is the sister
of current HFFDC member Earl Bodden, poor thing.
Bill Hart, a founding member and past-president of
the Corps', mother-in-law passed away on September 1, 2001.
In the early 1960's, Mrs. Nellie Heddle designed and
constructed, three of the flags that the HFFDC has carried for many years.
1) The Drum Corp Flag; 2) The flag with the fire-axe head;
3) The flag with the Maltese Cross. The photo at the right shows
all three flags being carried in the New York City St. Patrick's Day Parade
in 1990.
The photo shows the Corps on 5th. Avenue, in front
of St. Patrick's Cathedral. After the Corps played "Danny Boy", the Bishop
of New York came down onto the street and shook the Drum Major's hand.
Two of the three flags are still in regular use to
this day.
January 8, 2002, Dawn-Marie
gave birth to Paige Mutsuko Yoshida, 6 lbs.
In Memorium
John (Jack) Gibbons, Baritone
Line
Born March 17, 1930 - Passed
away October 2, 2002 in his 73rd. year
In Service with HFFDC 6 years.
11th. Field Battery Trumpet Band
1946 - 1948
1st. Independent Signals Squadron Band
1952 - 1954
Royal Hamilton Light Infantry Bugle Band
1956 - 1961
Viscounts Drum Corps
1959 - 1964
Canadian Commanders Drum Corps
1964 - 1966
Hamilton Firefighters Drum Corps
1996 - 2002
Canadian GAS Ensemble
2000 - 2002
In Memorium
John (Jack) Hargrove, Colour
Guard, Drum Line, Glockenspiel, Cymbals
Passed away February 16, 2001
in his 71st. year
In Service with HFFDC 7 years.
In Memorium
Jim Lisson, Drum Line, Bass &
Specials
Passed away January 24, 2001
In service with HFFDC approx.
10 years.
There aren't many pictures of
Jim. This is the only one we could find. It was taken marching
in the 1969 Grey Cup Parade, in Montreal.
Lynda is on the far right in this picture of the Guard.
In this photo, Milt is the second man
from the left, carrying the Canadian flag. He served with the Canadian
merchant marine during the Second World War. Milt was an active Hamilton
firefighter for 37 years. He was one of the original founding members of
the HFFDC. Along with sixty other firefighters, he canvassed the
downtown merchants of Hamilton, raising the initial funds to start up the
Corps. He served on the executive board of the Corps for several years
during the early 1980's.
Although he had been sick for the past
two years, Milt remained on the Corps' "active" roll, because he always
wanted to be an active member and, after 39 years of continuous service,
couldn't bring himself to retire.
Milt was actively marching with the Corps up until about two years ago, and even after that, he and his wife Eileen, still participated in many Corps activities.
"Uncle Miltie" always attended, and enjoyed
the G.A.S. reunions, wherever they were held. The picture to the right
shows him at the Y2K G.A.S. Reunion in Baltimore this past May. Milt is
seen wearing his (now famous) Hamilton Tiger-Cat pyjamas, talking to Carmen,
of the Audubon Bon-Bons Chorus.
In Memorium - Ray Andrew, 1st.
Soprano
August 5, 1945 to April 4, 2000
In Service with HFFDC
- Sixteen years
In Memorium - Warren Sabourin,
Drum Major
Feb. 20, 1945 to Feb. 2, 2000
In Service with HFFDC
- Total of 28 years
This image is from a 35mm slide, taken in 1972 by Eric's long time friend,
Bill Hart.
It was stored in damp conditions and has deteriorated somewhat.
Many
of the HFFDC Alumni are ex-members of the Viscounts Senior Drum & Bugle
Corps
1959
A
number of the HFFDC Alumni Association are also ex-members of the Guelph
Royalaires
1963
To contact the AA by e-mail: Bob
Saunders, President; Gary Zoskey,
Communications Chair or Wayne Peters,
Treasurer
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