I apologize for not getting this info up here sooner, but for those of you who haven’t heard, Gene “Geno” Herring passed away last Tuesday (the 16th). JP posted this information in the guestbook on the 17th…
Hello Everyone,
I just wanted to let you all know that my dad, GENO, passed away on Tuesday (8-16-05) @ 11:00 p.m. He had is entire family with him and died at peace.
We are having a visitation for him this Saturday in Canton @ Oaks-Hines Memorial Home. I don’t have the times yet, but will post another message when I have them.
A BIG THANKS to Mike Ochs who sent me DVDs of the shows and old pictures. It was a huge help taking a walk down memory lane. My brothers were able to see the “drum corps” side of dad.
THANKS FOR EVERYTHING.
J.P. Herring
followed by this information about the service…
Hello Everyone,
Thank you very much for the love and support we have received.
My dad’s visitation is going to be held Saturday, 8-20-05, from 4-6 p.m. at the Oaks – Hines Funeral Home, 1601 East Chestnut, Canton, Il.
Since there will no viewing it is going to be informal. Just some pictures, drum corps songs, and lots of “Geno” stories.
If anyone would like to read it, DCI has a nice little article about my dad on their website.
THANKS.
JP
Here’s the link to that DCI article he mentioned…
http://www.dci.org/news/news.cfm?news_id=fa088909-a889-47fd-b180-fd16637b31ad
I never knew Geno as well as many of you did, since he was already working for DCI when I started marching, but I do remember him stopping by a lot and checking up on us now and then. For me, Geno was the guy who kept the DCI shows running smoothly. At many shows, especially the big ones, he always seemed to be there on the sidelines, making sure everyhing was in order and on time.
Later, when I was in WIU’s marching band, we marched in a parade in Canton for a few years in a row….Geno was always there, helping Canton’s marching band, keeping an eye on things, and making sure everything ran smoothly.
I was able to see Geno earlier this summer at the Lisle, IL show and that’s when I found out about his condition. He told me he was going to be at some of the other large regional shows this summer too. I wished I would have had more time to talk to him, but he was busy keeping the show in order, and I was just heading back to the stands with two hot dogs in my hands.
From what I know, and from what I’ve heard from everyone else, Geno spent the last few months of his life doing what he really loved doing, taking care of the kids, and making sure everything was just right for the corps staff, judges, fans, and most importantly, the corps members.
Please, keep the Herring family in your hearts and your thoughts, just as Geno kept all of us in his.
Update…
A thread on drum corps planet about Geno, with other people’s memories and thoughts…
http://www.drumcorpsplanet.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=69081