In Memoriam

O.J. Garcia

Alpha Omicron, ΚΚΨ

Contributed by Keith Bearden

On Thursday, December 19, 2002, sophomore music education major and Kappa Kappa Psi member O.J. Garcia was fatally injured in a car accident near Menard, Texas. Brother Garcia had finished playing in the Court Jesters basketball band for the 6:00 pm game on Wednesday night when he decided to drive to San Antonio. He had planned to meet the marching band charter airplane on Thursday afternoon for the trip to the Tangerine Bowl in Orlando, Florida. The charter picked up students in Lubbock, Dallas, and San Antonio. O.J. had planned to leave his car in San Antonio where he could drive to Houston upon his return from Orlando to spend the holidays with his family. O.J. was a popular member of the Texas Tech University School of Music. He was first chair tuba in the Symphonic Wind Ensemble, a member of the marching band, the basketball band, Kappa Kappa Psi, Raider Recruiters, the Honors College, and worked in the Residence Halls. Marching band members didn’t learn of his death until they began meeting on Thursday morning at the pick-up points for the bowl trip. A memorial service was held later that evening at the Orlando hotel. John Strappazon, youth minister at Lubbock’s First Baptist Church and team chaplain, led the meeting.

Mr. Bearden, director of the “Goin’ Band” remembers O.J. Garcia: “He was a dedicated brother to Alpha Omicron, a person who was committed to his friends, and an outstanding musician. He will be greatly missed in our band program. He was a model student-good grades, never absent, never late, always prepared and had a great attitude. He would’ve been the perfect band director. He cared for others and wanted others to succeed. We could always count on his encouraging smile and his big bear hugs in the hallways. His memory will live on in the lives of our students and our faculty.”

The band dedicated their pre-game show to O.J. by reversing their capes to black and leaving his marching spot open. During the alma mater – “The Matador Song” – graduate teaching assistant Carter Biggers walked to O.J.’s spot and released a single white balloon. }

Dr. Ronald Douglas Gregory

Alpha Zeta, ΚΚΨ

Contributed by Elizabeth Gregory

Former Kappa Kappa Psi National President Dr. Ronald Gregory died January 22, 2003 in Juno Beach, Florida, following a brief illness. Dedication to his students was his joyful priority. He conducted and educated in thirteen countries. This distinguished musical conductor and educator was born April 29, 1920, in Walton, New York. He received his undergraduate and master’s degrees from The Ohio State University and a doctoral degree from University of Oregon, He became Department Head at University of Utah, Indiana University, and Millikin University. He was a Naval Officer in World War II and instructed at the Fleet Sonar Materiel School in Key West, Florida.

He was honored as founder of the University of Utah Bands Department, was awarded Most Popular Professor at Indiana University and then founded the Millikin-Decatur Symphony Orchestra and the supporting Symphonic Orchestra Guild. Among the artists he conducted were: Buddy Rich, Carlos Montoya, Pete Fountain, Dave Brubeck, Wynton Marsalis, Dizzie Gillespie, Shari Lewis, Edie Adams, Chet Atkins, Eileen Farrell, Hoagie Carmichael, Mel Tormé, Benny Goodman, Patti Page, Doc Severinson, and Peter Nero.

He was a Board Member of American Bandmasters and served as President of Kappa Kappa Psi from 1957 to 1959.

A noted composer of alma maters and fight songs and an author of books on marching bands, he imported to the Universities of Utah and Indiana the difficult script marching formations he so enjoyed at his beloved Ohio State.

He is survived by his wife Elizabeth, three children, seven grandchildren, and ten great-grandchildren. }