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Hi Chris:
I don't normally put emotional or personal emails out there either but I feel your grief warrants such a response.
I was devasted when my dad passed away almost eight years ago; the slightest mention of him when I was unprepared would set me to tears. We started my airpalne together; he was the welder I was the pipe-fitter and
within 1.5 years we had an airframe on wheels ... little did I know how many more years it would take before it's first flight. Dad was a civilian flight instructor on evenings and weekends amassing 9000+ hours. His last flight was to drop my hangar and take
one last look at the project; all I could say was "I just couldn't go any faster". I will always regret that he never saw it finished and flying but I vowed to myself that day to see it through to completion.
An airplane project won't replace the loss of a loved one but will provide a therapeutic focal point ...
My condolences Chris; it isn't to carry on but we must.
Jeff
From: Rotary motors in aircraft [flyrotary@lancaironline.net] On Behalf Of Chris Barber [cbarber@texasattorney.net]
Sent: Sunday, January 31, 2010 2:53 PM
To: Rotary motors in aircraft
Subject: [FlyRotary] Charlies an angel
As I have mentioned in the past, I consider you guys and gals as friends. Due to this, and since I spoke of him on the list in the past, I feel compelled to share my deep grief that my three month old son, Charles "Charlie" David Barber passed away Thursday.
He was visiting his grandmother (since I was a single dad, she cared for him when I worked) who discovered his lifeless body in his crib when she woke. It appears to be a case of SIDS. There was no trauma and it will be weeks before the toxicology reports
return. Considering how much press it gets, you would be amazed at how really low the SIDS rate is. Its rate has been cut in half since 1980. Currently about 2300 deaths in 4 million annual births in the US.
I did not realize this depth of sorrow was possible. I do not mean to be a downer and I would prefer not to clog the list with a lot of condolences as I know your thoughts are with me. I apologize to those who do not feel this
is the proper forum to share this, but since I spoke of him here, I would be at a loss if someone innocently mentioned him down the road and I had not shared the news. I am beside myself. The only time I got to fill out paperwork that I was his "father" was
on his death certificate paperwork. This has changed me and I am going to miss my son and the old me. I had so embraced my role as father and the word "son". He is/was my only child.
Anyway, I think I may be trying to distract myself (which so far has failed miserably) by working on my project. Kinda hard to keep the tears out of the epoxy. I actually didn't know I could sob. I have some questions
about the engine...actually Tracy's PSRU, and hope I am not thought crass that I may be asking some soon. It is a coping mechanism.
Thank you for humoring a grieving father.
All the best,
Chris Barber
Houston
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