On behalf of June, Jenny and myself, Rob, and the wider family, I thank everybody whom came today to pay their respects to John. There was a fantastic turnout, and I am sure dad would have been overwhelmed at the love and support shown. I know I was..
There are too many names to single any out particularly, but thanks to all the relatives, the old friends who we have not seen for years, the friends we have, the modellers I only knew as a name, and to everybody who made the effort to travel, in some cases hundreds of miles, to come say goodbye. It was very much appreciated.
I’m not really one for public speaking, or indeed mingling and making myself known – Jenny got both our allocations of that, I think – but I hope everybody who wanted to speak to us all got the opportunity to do so. It was lovely catching up and hearing about dad from so many.
If you didn’t get the chance to write in the memory book, please feel free to add a comment on here – if you have anything more lengthy to say, you can email me and I can post it on it’s own page – remember to say it’s for this.
Jenny organised a balloon release – we wrote messages to attach, and they were released into the air. They headed south, at speed, quickly gaining altitude. It was lovely flying weather!
Thanks again, and everyone, please do keep in touch!
Rob. 10th April 2017.
I only got to talk to John when I competed at contests, ending way down the list from him! As Hugh said, he was always ready to offer helpful advice to us less experienced modelers.
I moved to Georgia in 1966 to work for Lockheed, so I never saw him again (except in magazine photos) after that time, but whenever I think of free flight, I always remember him from back then -he stood out as a true gentleman, and I never heard him say a cross word.
I only discovered that he had passed away when I looked for him on Google: that is why I’m only writing this over a year late. I now fly full-scale gliders up in the Tennessee mountains, so when I get particularly high in a thermal and I feel someone fiddling with my trim, I’ll tell John that you miss him dearly!
God Bless,
Roger Somerville
I couldn’t figure how to edit my message above.” It should have read ” …..thermal and I feel …….”
Sorry!
Roger Somerville
I am an Australian who followed John and even remember his wedding photograph in was it Model News in 1965.
Thank you Robert.