Michelle Owens

Michelle Owens’s induction into the Crossmen Hall of Fame recognizes her remarkable legacy as a performer, leader, educator, mentor, and beloved member of the Crossmen family.

Michelle’s Crossmen story began in 1990, launching a 13-year connection to the corps that would leave a lasting impact on generations of members. She marched in the color guard for five seasons, from 1990 through 1994, and quickly became known as a talented performer who led by example. As a member of the weapon line all five years, and at times a featured performer, Michelle brought strength, precision, presence, and heart to every performance.

Her leadership was evident both on and off the field. Michelle cared deeply for her fellow members and was always willing to help those around her. She understood that being a Crossmen meant more than performing well; it meant supporting one another, building trust, and creating a family. That spirit helped make her a natural leader, and she served as guard captain during her final two seasons.

After aging out in 1994, Michelle continued giving back to the corps as a member of the instructional staff from 1995 through 2000. Over those years, she served as a technician, writer, choreographer, and caption supervisor. She was part of a team that produced some of the strongest color guards in Crossmen history, helping raise the standard of performance, training, and artistry within the program.

Michelle was loved by her students because of the way she taught. She was demanding, but always with warmth, charm, and genuine care. She expected excellence, but she also made performers feel supported and seen. Countless members have described Michelle as their favorite instructor because she knew how to bring out the best in people. She took the time to work individually with students who needed help and learned every count of the show so she could understand, firsthand, the challenges performers were facing. Her feedback was specific, thoughtful, and always intended to make her students stronger.

For Michelle, teaching color guard was never only about building better performers. She believed her role was also to help shape young people into strong, independent, caring human beings. Her influence extended far beyond technique, choreography, or performance quality. She helped members believe in themselves, care for one another, and carry the lessons of drum corps into their lives.

Michelle’s impact reached beyond the Crossmen as well. She went on to teach other organizations, including Magic of Orlando, The Cadets, and the Troopers. But in 2015 and 2016, she came back home to teach the Crossmen. Returning to the corps stirred deep emotion for Michelle. She spoke about how powerful it felt to stand once again in front of the corps where she had started, reconnecting the current members to the Crossmen of the past.

That return was special for the entire organization. Michelle gave of herself not only to the guard, but to members across the corps who wanted to hear stories from the 1990s and understand more about the history they were now part of. Her presence helped bridge generations. It also inspired alumni she had marched with and taught 15 to 25 years earlier to reconnect with the corps and take renewed interest in its future.

In September 2015, Michelle was diagnosed with ovarian cancer. She fought that battle with the same grace, strength, and care for others that had defined her life. She passed away in September 2016, leaving behind a profound legacy of love, kindness, leadership, and inspiration.

Those who knew Michelle remember her as someone who was always more concerned with how others were doing than with herself. She had a smile that could light up a room and a way of making people feel valued. As she faced cancer, the love and support she had given so freely over the years came back to her many times over. People from every chapter of her life reached out, a testament to the countless lives she had touched.

Jeff Sacktig described Michelle’s life as one cut short, but well lived. Gary Cuzzocrea noted that her contribution to the overall morale of the drum corps during those years was monumental, remembering her as someone always there to talk, offer emotional support, and lead by example. Eric Kitchenman compared her influence to a pebble dropped into a pond, with ripples that continue to push the personal and professional boundaries of those she inspired.

That is the spirit of Michelle Owens. Across marching band, color guard, drum corps, and the broader activity, people knew Michelle, were touched by her presence, and never forgot her.

For her years as a Crossmen performer and guard captain, her excellence as an instructor and mentor, her ability to connect generations of the corps, her lasting influence on the lives of her students, and her enduring example of love, strength, kindness, and leadership, we proudly honor Michelle Owens as a member of the Crossmen Hall of Fame Class of 2017.