University of Missouri mourns passing of Marching Mizzou member

The University of Missouri, its School of Music and Marching Mizzou are mourning the loss of one of their own.

Alex Jackson, a 20-year-old third-year student at MU, passed away on Nov. 24 after a battle with cancer. Jackson was a member of the Marching Mizzou band and played the mellophone. He was also a member of the Horn Choir, playing the French horn, and was a member of Kappa Kappa Psi service fraternity.

"He touched the hearts and lives of so many and he fought such a good fight," the University of Missouri School of Music wrote in a Facebook post. "Professors, ensemble members, and classmates of his all share in mourning right now. Our hearts are also with his family who supported him to the very end."

Jackson is a 2020 graduate of Sherwood High School, Creighton, Missouri. There, he was a member of the band and scholar bowl.

Jackson's final performance with Marching Mizzou was at Arrowhead Stadium in front of an audience of thousands at a Kansas City Chiefs game.

"This past season in Band 136 while having chemo treatments he still made nearly every rehearsal and performance that his body would allow," said a post on Marching Mizzou's Facebook page. "He loved Marching Mizzou and we were one of the reasons he was fighting this illness so hard. Mizzou was the only collegiate choice for him and Marching Mizzou, the only college band. His desire was to be a loud, excited, and positive figure for Marching Mizzou that will help everyone “find the good in the tough times and keep pushing to be what we are, which is the ‘Best Band in the Land.’”

The School of Music wrote that it is planning a candlelight vigil for Jackson next week. Details on the vigil are still to come.

This article originally appeared on Columbia Daily Tribune: University of Missouri mourns passing of Marching Mizzou member