Posted on July 2nd, 2018
Hall of Fame’s Jim Cossetti passes following long standing medical issues
World Drum Corps Hall of Fame member Jim Cossetti passed away peacefully on June 28 at age 73, following some very serious and long lasting medical issues. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame at ceremonies held in Scranton, Pennsylvania in 2002. He was also a member of the International Trumpet Guild, the Bugler’s Hall of Fame and the Pennsylvania Drum Corps Hall of Fame.
A celebration of life service will be held on Friday July 6, 2018 with visitation beginning at 10 am and service beginning at noon at the Maclean-Chamberlain Funeral Home, 339 West King’s Highway, Coatesville, Pennsylvania. Interment will be private.
In lieu of flowers, his family requests donations to help defray the cost of medical expenses incurred. Visit https://www.gofundme.com/james-v-cossetti-iii-memorial-fund to make a contribution.
He had an extensive background in performance, administration and instruction in the drum corps community. In 1975 he assisted with the formation of Archer-Epler, the first successful alumni corps. By serving on the steering committee of the Great Alliance of Seniors (GAS), and as its first president, he helped set the stage for enormous growth in drum and bugle corps alumni activity that took place over the following 20 years. He was director of Archer-Epler from 1988 through 1995.
He also assisted with the coordination of members for the Pride of Eastern Drum Corps, which performed twice at the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.
He was a soprano soloist with the Archer-Epler Musketeers and the Reilly Raiders/Musketeers in the 1960s and with Archie’s Alumni Corps and then with the Reilly Raiders Alumni. He later performed with the Music Express Drum and Bugle Corps.
He was a strong tenor voice in the alumni chorus of the Musketeers and continued to sing with the New York Skyliners Alumni Chorus. He also performed with the Hawthorne Caballeros Alumni Chorus.
His career as a brass instructor began in 1964 at Archer-Epler and continued from 1969 through 1974 with Blue Rock. He taught the Musketeers’ horn line in the 1960s, ‘70s, ‘80s and ‘90s.
A 1962 graduate of Northeast Catholic High School, he studied Psychology at University of Delaware. In the late 1960s, he served as a private in the Pennsylvania and Delaware Army National Guards. Later in life he worked in construction as a consulting engineer and owned his own corporation.
He is survived by his wife of 52 years Dorothy; children Michelle (John Peiffer), Kristen (Raphael Lauro), and Jamie (Christopher McDade); sister Donna Marie Wiater; grandsons Jason, Domenick and Owen and many cousins, nieces and nephews.
Comments are closed.
