The leader of the band is tired and his eyes are growing old
But his blood runs through my instrument and his song is in my soul
My life has been a poor attempt to imitate the man
I’m just a living legacy to the leader of the band

-Dan Fogelberg, “The Leader of the Band”

Nearly four decades of students kept time at the steady direction of Band Director John Dunphy who passed away Aug. 10, at the age of 87. Hired in 1979, Dunphy (pictured in the 1980 and 1985 Belle Air yearbooks, courtesy of Falvey Library’s physical collection) was a common sight at Villanova football and basketball games as well as commencement, before his retirement in 2017.