The BC piping community recently lost two pipe band leaders with the passings of Pipe Major Brian Porter and Pipe Major Dave Rutherford.
Brian Porter started piping at St. Thomas More high school in Burnaby and joined South Burnaby Legion Branch 83 Pipe Band under Tom Binnie in the early 1970s.
He served as PM of the Port Coquitlam Legion 133 Pipe Band from 1979 to 1981 and again from 1982 on. He was a member of the Crescent Beach Pipe Band from 2002 to the present and was PM of the band from 2005 to 2011.
A school teacher by professional, Brian also spent many summers teaching at the Coeur d’ Alene Piping School.
A Celebration of Life for Brian will be held on March 10 from 1 to 3 pm at the Ocean Promenade Conference Room, 15611 Marine Drive, East Beach, White Rock.
His obituary is published here.
Dave Rutherford was a piper in the Seaforth Cadets and in late 1971 became the PM of the young Richmond CP Air Boys Pipe Band, which was instructed by Fred Brodie as a feeder band to the City of Port Moody Pipe Band.
Dave was a respected leader to the young teenagers of the band and led the band through its transition to co-ed status in 1973 when several players of the Burnaby Ladies Pipe Band joined.
Dave and Fred built up the player roster and calibre of the band to Grade 2 by the 1974 season, at the end of which he joined the Port Moody Pipe Band and subsequently Triumph Street Pipe Band.
He served as Pipe Major of the Delta Police Pipe Band from 2000 to 2001 and subsequently played with several other pipe bands.
Further details will be provided when known.
