Mr. Hogan - The Leader of the Band

Richard Hogan 1936-2012

A few weeks ago a guy in Aledo died by the name of Dick Hogan.  He was in an accident outside Peoria and died at the hospital about a week later.   "Hoagie" was a beloved local character who used to teach music at the high school, gather with friends at the Club or one of the local watering holes, played golf and was a friend of my Dad.  Hoagie was also the biggest Cubs fan I ever knew, and they are legion.  I know another big Cub fan in Knoxville, but she doesn't watch all of the games, especially when they are close.  But Hoagie did.  He went to Chicago or St. Louis several times a year also.  Once we were in one of the bars in Aledo and I'm not sure but I think it was Nancy's sister Patti who was with us.  We had been there a bit and Hoagie wrote a song on a paper towel.  It was composed of notes, no lyrics.  Wonder if she still has it, and wonder what it sound like.  It would be nice to have today.  He was one of my Dad's pallbearers and he represents about the last of his buddies.  He was also an Army man and also received his Masters.

The reason he graces this post is because of something he did a few years ago when I was Program Coordinator at the Mary Davis Home.  In my capacity as PC I worked every so often to bring in outside people to come speak tot he kids.  Once in a while I was successful but more often than not I wasn't.  Guess there wasn't enough cred, or publicity, and of course, we had no money to help offset their expenses.  I was successful in getting Congressman Lane Evans to stop by and talk tot he kids. I tried getting Neil Castor several times since at that time he was traveling to schools to give little weather talks.  Hen never did, and didn't even write back.  I tried to bring in local bands like Rio, and Knoxville, but never heard back from them either.

The Leader of the Band

There was, however, one guy who did.  Hoagie received approval from school  administrators and brought his jazz band over not once, but twice.   I suppose he had tremendous cachet at the school and it was likely they didn't refuse him much.  But imagine Dick going to his superiors with a proposal to take kids out of classes, the use of a bus along with gas, and go to a school out of district with 25 kids and play music for kids in detention.

 Amazing.

Undated picture of Mr. Hogan leading his AHS band members in a parade. 

Through the years when we'd run into each other I always got the sense that it was more inspirational for him and his students than it was for us.   He felt an empathy for the kids and was happy to entertain them.  He always asked if I thought they enjoyed it.  I always told him they did.  Of course our kids would have enjoyed seeing a squirrel peel an acorn if it got them out of their room or out of work detail or out of their own classroom.  They put on pretty good shows and for a few minutes our hallways echoed with the sounds of a musical concert.  Jazz rocked the Red Roof Inn.  It was a nice thing to do, and I'll always appreciate Aledo High School, the Jazz band members and Richard Hogan for taking the time and absorbing the expense to bring a little culture and music to the Mary Davis Home.      




Of course, Aledo High School isn't Aledo High School anymore.  They merged with Westmer a few years ago and are now called Golden Eagles or something like that.  In Dick Hogan's honor at his funeral, they dusted off the old Aledo Green Dragon uniforms and marched and played in front of his hearse.  Here is that video.