David St. Angel
Former Phantom Regiment Director David St. Angel passed away Tuesday, Sept. 25 at the age of 67. A longtime drum corps instructor and designer—he was the drill writer for the 1975 Madison Scouts' Championship-winning show—St. Angel took the reigns as director of Phantom Regiment in 1989. Leading the corps through one of its most successful periods in history, his last year as director in 1996 would mark the first time Regiment would win the DCI World Championship. Marching as a member of the 1975 Madison Scouts under St. Angel's tutelage, Drum Corps International Executive Director Dan Acheson describes his personality as "tough on the outside but as gentle as a teddy bear on the inside." As first year directors of Midwestern corps—Acheson with the Glassmen and St. Angel with Phantom Regiment—the two would bond as they attended their first meetings of the DCI Board of Directors. "His passion for the drum corps experience and his drive to ensure his corps members were given every opportunity to be the best they could be and rewarded fairly for it is unmatched," Acheson said. "Dave is one of many that has given heart and soul in his lifetime to an activity that can never really measure up with the well deserved gratitude he should be granted." Current Phantom Regiment Executive Director Rick Valenzuela had the opportunity to get to know St. Angel, who was a resident of the corps' hometown of Rockford, Ill., during his first year working for the corps in 2006. "He was a big guy, full of life. He would have people hanging onto every word he said, whether it was during the game or at a dinner party," Valenzuela said. "Dave loved the Phantom Regiment and the drum corps activity, but you could tell he loved the people involved the most." Share your memories of David St. Angel on Facebook. St. Angel is survived by his wife Nancy, son Kevin, daughter Yvonne and numerous grandchildren and relatives. A memorial gathering will be held on Friday, Sept. 28, in Rockford, Ill., at the Firtzgerald Funeral Home (1860 S. Mulford Road). In lieu of flowers, memorials are requested to be made to a scholarship fund through Phantom Regiment. FitzgeraldFuneralHome.com Regiment.org