I’m so very saddened that my first post on behalf of the Cavalier Alumni Association Board of Directors is in memory of
Troy Morgan, who has passed away. Anyone involved with the Cavaliers from 1985-1993 can attest to Troy’s hugely influential role in upholding and elevating the style and power of the Cavalier guard during his tenure as caption head and choreographer. I know many on this page don’t know who Troy is, but I hope you’ll take the time to read this and learn a little about a man so many of us loved so deeply, and will miss so greatly.
Having marched in the State Street Review winter guard (Madison, WI) in the early 80s and Spirit of Atlanta (1983), Troy performed in the Cavaliers Drum & Bugle Corps in 1984 and in the Cavaliers winter guard in 1985. Although the Cavaliers guard was already well established as a powerhouse when he took over as caption head, Troy’s athleticism, style and energy immediately made a huge impact on the guard’s technique, choreography and identity. Over the next nine years, under Troy’s leadership, the Cavalier guard remained a driving force in the activity, drawing young men (often with little to no experience) from across the country to learn from the best in the business.
Troy’s extraordinary intellect and his razor-sharp, often outrageous sense of humor served him well on the field and off. Troy wasn’t afraid of an argument, particularly when it involved pushing the corps into sometimes uncomfortable creative territory. Some may remember when a small patch of fluorescent pink fabric on a flag design caused an uproar with corps leadership and alumni. (My how times have changed.) No one delivered an observation, a correction or a compliment with more style and biting humor.
After his tenure with the Cavaliers, Troy made his home in Houston, where he went to work for Continental Airlines (United) in the mid-90s, until his retirement a couple of years ago. Troy loved to brag about how his “dance skills” were rooted in log-rolling, a talent he honed as a young man growing up in rural northern Wisconsin. In recent years he moved back to his hometown of Hayward, where he campaigned for and won a seat on the town’s city council.
Countless designers and technicians still working at the top of our activity, as well as many of us who are no longer involved in drum corps/guard, all owe a huge debt of gratitude to Troy for setting us up for success in life. He believed in us when we didn’t believe in ourselves. He was tough on us and pushed us hard, and sometimes we pushed back. But at the end of the day, we knew Troy loved us, and he knew we loved him right back. I hope that love provided some comfort to him during this last chapter of his life. – Philip Mayard
