Come, Come, Ye Saints

A wallhanging quilt I made for the
sesquicentennial (150 years) celebration
of the Mormon pioneers first arriving in the
Salt Lake valley in 1847 (the top corner
squares). Also a tribute to Ella's family who
emigrated from Scotland to America in 1949
(the bottom corner squares). 
(Click to enlarge.)

When we talk about pioneers, we typically think of covered wagons and handcarts and trekking west across the American frontier. But I think of Ella and her parents, pioneers who left their homeland and family to settle in an unknown-to-them territory. 

Ella LOVED Pioneer Day, July 24, which commemorates the arrival of the first Mormon pioneers to the Salt Lake Valley in 1847. Her love for pioneers started in her youth, as her family would gather together around their piano and sing Come, Come, Ye Saints, and they would hope, and dream, and plan for the day when they would join with other members of their faith in America. 

Here are some thoughts that Ella shared in a talk she gave to her church congregation in Long Beach, California, in the 1960s. See the full scan of her original talk, below. 

..........

My parents joined the church before I was born and I think the missionaries must have had a tough time with them as it took them a year before they accepted the gospel and were ready for baptism.

At that time it was the hopes and goals of all [Latter-day] Saints to emigrate to Zion and so my parents started saving and in 1939 the ball got rolling for us to come to this country. But as you know the world was very unsettled at that time and Britain declared war in September of 1939, and our hopes were dashed. One of the missionaries who helped convert my parents was to be our sponsor and he offered to take care of my sister and I until our parents could join us after the war -- as they had Red Cross ships sailing to America with children, but my parents declined the offer and I am so happy about that as I was only 5 years old at the time and I wouldn't have remembered Scotland or appreciated it as I do today. 

Once war was declared all missionaries were called home. My father was made Branch President and during all of the war we only had two active families, [but] we held Sacrament meeting every Sunday evening and my father and the other Priesthood holder would take turns conducting, blessing and passing of the Sacrament and giving talks. 

We feel that we were blessed greatly, because although bombs dropped close to us and bullets hit our house no harm came to us or the other members of the branch. My father worked in the shipyards and had many close call[s] both from bombs and having to come off the ships and ride his bicycle home often late at night in complete darkness as we had total blackouts, and in Scotland the nights in the wintertime are very, very dark. But as a child I can truthfully say that I felt my parents trust in the Lord and never felt fear and knew that we were in His keeping. 

During the latter part of the war my mother started working diligently on her genealogy and was able to collect a great deal of names and was able to even get into [m]onasteries where a great deal of records are kept and [up to] that time had been inaccessible. So having to stay behind in 1939 had indeed been in blessing in disguise. 

...

The years went by and our thought once again turned to Zion. My mother played the piano and her favorite [song] was Come, Come, Ye Saints --- and she would gather us around the piano and say, "[Come on learn this son[g] as we can't go to America if we aren't able to sing this.["] I guess she thought it was a [p]assword to get in, but sincerely it is a very special song for me, although my parents were not early pioneers, they did have to give up everything they had to come to this country and start [over] which isn't exactly the easiest task when you're in your forties. 

So in 1949 our plans gelled once again, many letters were sent back and forth. Our visas and passports were procured after having medicals and interviews with the American Consul. 

On Friday, May 13, 1949, we sailed from our homeland and loved ones to a new Frontier. [A] land full of dreams and expectations, and we were not disappointed as life had been good to us and my parents have been repaid many times over for their faith in the Lord. 

I want to say how thankful I am for the missionaries who brought the Gospel to my parents and how doubly thankful I am that I can claim a double heritage, Scottish by birth and American by choice. Brothers and Sisters let us be thankful for this promised land and for our precious freedom that we can worship and live as we choose. 

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Although I have grown up as and am an actively practicing Mormon, I am in awe, and humbled, by the sacrifices our ancestors made, to more fully live what they believe. 

Selling virtually all that they owned and traveling essentially with the clothes on their back, they waved goodbye to family as they boarded the train that took them to the ship harbor. Grandma was now 15 years old. The journey was so expensive and they had saved for so many years, they didn’t know if they’d ever return to their homeland. These were one-way tickets. 

America didn’t necessarily offer them greener pastures, either literally (they settled in Arizona, after all) or figuratively: It’s no small task to start a new life from scratch. And they were sometimes ridiculed for their accent, and treated as second class citizens. 

Why did they do all this? I think about this often. The conclusion that I’ve come to is that I believe they had a vision of the future, of how their sacrifices would benefit generations to come. We are now standing on their shoulders.

We have that same blood coursing through our veins. And we can tap into that same strength and determination. We too can trust in God, and that he has a plan for our lives and he will direct us as we seek to know that plan. We can have courage in the face of hardships, as we ourselves face oceans and continents that separate us from our final destinations, and as we may sometimes find ourselves as strangers in a strange land. 

We too can do great things, GREAT THINGS, that will influence, for good, generations to come. 

..........

See also these related posts:

• George and Kate Findlay Meet the Mormons 
• Across Oceans and Continents 
• On the Banks of the River Dee, Aberdeen 
• To Generations Past, Present, and Future 
• Inglish Pioneers 

Airborne: What Happens When You Try to Barf Out of an Airplane Window?

AM met Ralph in August of 1996 when AM was a 16-year-old sophomore in high school, and Ralph took him on his introductory flight lesson. 

This was just the beginning, as AM would continue with his aviation goals, later becoming a flight instructor himself as well as a pilot (including captain) for several major US airlines.

When I once asked Ralph who some of his most memorable students were, AM was on the top of Ralph’s list. And Ralph was on the top of AM’s list too. AM shared: “I truly love Ralph and all he has done for me in my life.” And: “Hopefully we can live up to your grandparents’ examples and make them proud. I am so thankful for the man Ralph is and how devoted he was to Ella.”

Here’s a memorable experience from AM as a rookie pilot and Ralph as patient and compassionate instructor, in the face of an unexpected and unpleasant mess (or rather, an unexpected and unpleasant mess in their faces!) In AM’s words:

……….

As an early student Ralph always wanted me to push myself. … I remember flying out over the railroad tracks that follow interstate 80 towards Wendover, Nevada. Ralph decided we needed to practice "turns around a point," as the maneuver is called, so we found some good spots to turn to the left and turn to the right and repeated this for close to an hour. My body was not prepared for the back and forth and back and forth, but I knew Ralph was doing it for a reason. 

Soon my stomach started "talking to me." I told Ralph I needed to level off and I wasn't feeling good. I decided to open the side window and just barf outside the airplane. This brought another lesson of physics to our flight about ambient air pressure and how barf won't simply go outside the aircraft in flight. In fact it spins around and hits you and your instructor (poor Ralph) in the face and makes a huge mess. I remember at the age of 16, in this moment, Ralph pleading with me, "Andy not outside, not outside!" I quickly shut the side window, found some paper towels, and we continued back to Salt Lake for the dreaded debrief. 

I learned many things that day but most importantly, I learned my instructor had faith in me and a sense of love and compassion as he found a warm bucket of water and showed me how to clean the frozen barf off the side of the rented aircraft, as well as a good wipe down of the interior. 

Ralph and I kept touch over the years as I made it to the Airlines. I started off at Pinnacle Airlines in Memphis, TN, then Skywest Airlines in Utah for 10 yrs where I served as a co-pilot and then captain after really 8 yrs of sitting in the right seat. The captain position is the goal of a pilot’s career—the absolute top. [He now flies for another major US airline.]

Over the years, I became an airline instructor and had truly come full circle as I had co-pilots get sick on me in flight and barf in the flight deck. I couldn't help but remember the love that was once shown to me years earlier when I was in this same position. I attribute Ralph's patience and love in many moments in my career and try to pay it forward.

I kept my CFI rating current over the years and would often call Ralph to get advice if I was teaching things correctly. He always had the answer and would love to chat about anything aviation. 

“This is a picture of my very first logbook entry from Ralph. I now have over 13,500 hours of flight time and currently fly for [a major airline.]”

……….

Source: From messages exchanged with AM on Facebook Messenger on 1 November 2020 and 23 November 2020.

Summary of Cemeteries in and near Aberdeen with Relatives in Them

On our next trip to Aberdeen (date TBD), I hope we can pay a visit to relatives buried there, specifically kin from the Findlay, Love, and Beattie families.

Here’s the exhaustive list of information I have, representing years of on-and-off research online and kind responses from Aberdeen City to my many inquiries, to find or confirm dates and locations, to obtain maps, and then to post what I have to FamilySearch for all who are are interested. (Thinking of you, Ella and Ralph. Wish we could visit these locations together.)

Any cousins have any more details or photos they can share? 

St. Peter’s Cemetery

King Street, Aberdeen 

This is where baby Charlesina Smith Love Findlay is buried. She is the daughter of George and Charlesina Findlay, and she is the younger sister to Ella’s father, and thus Ella's aunt. She died at 14 months old from pneumonia. According to records, it seems that she was originally named Dorothy but her name was changed to Charlesina when she was about 1 month old.

• Charlesina Smith Love Findlay - Lair F/17
• Born 10 May 1905. Died 10 July 1906 (14 months old). Interred 11 July 1906. 
• Find her death register here.
• Find the scan of the cemetery ledger here.
• Find a map with the grave location here.
• Note: This is an unallocated/common lair, without a gravestone marking any of those interred here.

St. Peter's Cemetery
(Image Source)

Trinity Cemetery

58 Erroll St, Aberdeen

So many relatives buried here, including both sets of Ella's great grandparents. 

• Walter Findlay - Section I, Lair 127
• This is Ella's great grandfather: George Findlay > George Findlay > Walter Findlay
• Born 17 April 1839. Died 31 May 1917. Interred 4 June 1917. 
• Plot was paid for by Findlay, George (Proprietor) on 7 Jan 1907. (Curious...George Findlay purchased the plot 10 years before Walter would pass away. I wonder whether other plots were purchased at the same time?)
• We don't know whether there's a gravestone placed - Aberdeen City doesn't have record of it. We'll have to check in person. 
• For a map of the grave location, reach out to Aberdeen City again in the future - their mapping system was down at the time of inquiry.

• Elizabeth Taylor Findlay - Section I, Lair 127
• Wife of Walter Findlay and Ella's great grandmother. Note that the cemetery ledger lists her as Elizabeth Taylor but does not include her married name of Findlay.
• Born 1857. Died 29 October 1927. Interred 1 Nov 1927. Elizabeth and Walter are the only ones interred in this grave.
• We don't know whether there's a gravestone placed - Aberdeen City doesn't have record of it. We'll have to check in person. 
• For a map of the grave location, reach out to Aberdeen City again in the future - their mapping system was down at the time of inquiry.

• Alexander Love - Section M, Lair 54
• This is another of Ella's great grandfathers, also on her father's side: George Findlay > Charlesina Smith Love Findlay > Alexander Love
• Born 8 Aug 1857. Died 25 May 1920. Interred 27 May1920.
• We don't know whether there's a gravestone placed - Aberdeen City doesn't have record of it. We'll have to check in person. 
• For a map of the grave location, reach out to Aberdeen City again in the future - their mapping system was down at the time of inquiry.

• Caroline Smith Love - Section M, Lair 54
• Wife of Alexander Love and Ella's great grandmother.
• Born 23 August 1856. Died 4 Sept 1931. Interred 7 Sept 1931.
• We don't know whether there's a gravestone placed - Aberdeen City doesn't have record of it. We'll have to check in person. 
• For a map of the grave location, reach out to Aberdeen City again in the future - their mapping system was down at the time of inquiry.

• Baby Walter Findlay - Section I, Lair 118
• This is Ella’s uncle and her father’s younger brother. He died at just over 2 years old.
• Born 26 March 1913. Died 17 May 1915. Interred 18 May 1915.
• See an obituary for Walter here. It's tenderly recorded that he was “Sadly missed.”
• See the death register here.
• See the scan of the cemetery ledger here. (Check back at a future time. I need to first find where I saved the scan...but I do have it somewhere.) 
• See the scan of the cemetery map here.
• We don't know whether there's a gravestone placed - Aberdeen City doesn't have record of it. We'll have to check in person. 

• Baby James Webster Findlay - Section I, Lair 118
• Another of Ella's uncles, son of George and Charlesina Findlay.
• Born 15 August 1919. Died 25 September 1919. Interred 27 September 1919. Only about 6 weeks old at passing and buried in the same lair as his brother Walter.
• See the death register here.
• See the scan of the cemetery map here.
• I haven't found a scan of the cemetery ledger, but the helpful folks at the Aberdeen Bereavement Services office shared his grave location.
• We don't know whether there's a gravestone placed - Aberdeen City doesn't have record of it. We'll have to check in person. 

Trinity Cemetery
(Image Source)

John Knox Churchyard 

Mounthooly, Aberdeen (located just off the Mounthooly roundabout at the junction with the Gallowgate in Aberdeen) 

This is where Ella’s great grandmother (her mother’s father’s mother), Elizabeth Beattie is buried. Born in 1840, she is the mother of John McDonald Beattie (Ella's maternal grandfather), and she passed away at only 29 years old from typhus, leaving her only child, John, orphaned. (Read more about Elizabeth Beattie, her life, and her burial, here.)

Buried in the same plot are Elizabeth's parents. Her father, Adam Beattie, preceded her in death, passing away in March 1869. Elizabeth’s mother, Janet Petrie Beattie, passed away not long after Elizabeth, in late October 1869 -- such a significant loss all within 7 months time.

We have not yet visited this site, but from correspondence with Aberdeen City, we believe that this was a pauper’s grave. At this time (mid 1800s), it was common that many individuals who couldn't afford a burial would be buried in a single grave, and when the grave was almost full, the grave would be sold, and the owners would have the right to place a stone with their name on it. In this case, the owner of the plot is listed as “Alexander Alexander” (yes, "Alexander" twice). Whether or not there’s a stone there at all (even with the name Alexander), Aberdeen City couldn’t confirm. We’ll have to take a look ourselves on our next trip.

• Elis Beattie - John Knox Churchyard, Lair 58

• Full name is Elisabeth/Elizabeth, but listed as "Elis" on the cemetery ledger.

• Born about 1840. Died 07 July 1869. Buried 09 July 1869. 

• See her death register here. (She is listed as

• See the scan of the cemetery ledger here.

• See maps with the grave location here and here.

• Adam Beattie - Lair 58

• Born about 1793. Died 25 March 1869. Buried 29 March 1869. 

• See his death register here.

• See the scan of the cemetery ledger here.

• Janet Beattie - Lair 58

• Born about 1819. Died 25 Oct 1869. Buried 18 October 1869. (Note: There’s a discrepancy here, as her burial date is recorded as before her death date.)

• See her death register here.

• See the scan of the cemetery ledger here.

John Knox Church has been converted into residential flats, but the cemetery remains and is maintained by Aberdeen City Council. (Image Source)

Allenvale Cemetery

Allenvale Road, Aberdeen. Enter the cemetery from the entrance off of Hardgate.

This is where John McDonald Beattie and wife Ursilla Katherine Bruce Beattie are buried, Ella’s paternal grandparents. This plot is especially dear to us: Until April 2018, their grave had been unmarked. Cousins working together, we got the gravestone in place. (Read more about it here and here.) Can’t wait to see it in person!

• John McDonald Beattie - Section 2, Lair 278

• Born 12 November 1860. Died 8 May 1936. Buried 11 May 1936.

• See his death register here.

• See a map with the grave location here.

• I've been told that there aren't any scans available of the cemetery ledgers. (From an email with the Bereavement Services department of Aberdeen City in February 2021: "There is no ledger to scan as such. It’s a day to day ledger with many other people’s details on it." I am hoping that as more and more documents are digitized, that this will become available.)

• Ursilla Katherine Bruce Beattie - Section 2, Lair 278

• Born 20 February 1862. Died 5 February 1937. Buried 8 Feb 1937.

• See her death register here.

• See a map with the grave location here.

• I've been told that there aren't any scans available of the cemetery ledgers. (See above note for her husband John.)

The Beatties' grave marker in Allenvale Cemetery, 
installed in April 2018. Can't wait to see it in person someday!

Garden of Remembrance at the Kaimhill Funeral Home

Kaimhill Road, Aberdeen

This is where Ella’s paternal grandparents George Findlay (senior) and Charlesina Smith Love Findlay both had their ashes scattered. (Read more about our visiting their final resting spot in May 2017, here.)

Charlesina Findlay’s cremation and confirmation of her ashes being scattered at the Garden of Rest received via email with a Support Assistant in Bereavement Services, Marischal College, Aberdeen, on 8 March 2017.

George Findlay’s cremation date and confirmation of his ashes being scattered at the Garden of Rest received via email with a Support Assistant in Bereavement Services, Marischal College, Aberdeen, on 8 March 2017. 

• George Findlay

• Born 19 December 1879. Died 29 December 1964. Cremated 31 December 1964.

• See his death register here.

• Charlesina Smith Love Findlay

• Born 14 August 1883. Died 5 January 1960. (However, I’m not 100% sure of the cremation date as I’ve been told it’s 7 January 1960 as well as 9 January 1960. It’s a non-essential detail but I wanted to make sure that what details we have are correct.)

• See her death register here.

Ella’s uncle Alexander Love Findlay (her father’s younger brother; son to George and Charlesina Findlay) was also cremated here, and there’s a plaque commemorating his life in the Hall of Remembrance here at Kaimhill. (See photos and read more about it here.)

Although we know "Alec" was cremated here, we don't know for sure whether his ashes were also scattered here, or whether his name is recorded in the Book of Remembrance that is kept at the Hall of Remembrance in the Kaimhill Funeral Home. We received Alexander Love Findlay’s cremation date via email with a Support Assistant in Bereavement Services, Marischal College, Aberdeen, on 30 May 2017.

• Alexander Love Findlay

• Born 29 June 1906. Died 28 December 1960. Cremated on 31 December 1960.

• See his death register here.

Ralph and Ella at the Garden of Rest, on the grounds of the
Kaimhill Funeral Home - May 2017

Lossiemouth Cemetery

Inchbroom Road, Lossiemouth

Lossiemouth Cemetery
(Image Source)

Jane Love Findlay - This is George and Charlesina Findlay's second child, and younger sister to Ella's father George (making her Ella's aunt). Although the Findlays primarily resided in Aberdeen, it's apparent that they were living in Lossiemouth, about 70 miles from Aberdeen, (~1.5 hours drive) for a period of time, as their residence is listed as Lossiemouth for Jane's birth (February 1904) and her death (April 1904) as well as the birth of their next child Dorothy/Charlesina (May 1905). However, the family was back in Aberdeen at Dorothy/Charlesina's passing a year later in July 1906.

Per her death register, Baby Jane died from marasmus, or severe undernourishment. I can only imagine the heartache from George and Charlesina, and Charlesina doing her best to nurse this little babe who, for whatever reason, wasn't thriving, with their little son George (~15 months old) toddling around and far from other family back in Aberdeen. And then to bury their little one, and move back to Aberdeen, leaving Jane behind.

In my searching, I was previously only looking for Jane in Aberdeen, but when rechecking records, realized she passed away in Lossiemouth. Eureka! I reached out to the super helpful folks at the Moray Council registrar's office (in April 2021), and they were able to provide the lair number, a scan of the cemetery ledger, and confirm that George Findlay bought the grave and Jane is the only one buried in it (rather than a common grave). They even sent a burial groundsman to check in person whether she has a gravestone - she does not. Even without a gravestone, she's not lost to us.

• Jane Love Findlay 
• Born 20 February 1904. Died 7 April 1904. Buried 9 April 1904.
• Lossiemouth Cemetery, Lair number 795
• See her death register here. 
• See a scan of the cemetery ledger here. 
• Note: The Moray Council doesn't have a digitized version of a cemetery map available (it's too large to scan), but they've offered to have a groundsman meet us at the cemetery and guide us to Jane's location, if/when that time comes.

Family We’re Still Searching For:

• Where are Elizabeth Beattie's siblings buried . . . Isabel, Janet, Ann, or George? (I'll follow up with the Aberdeen Council.)

..........

Additionally, I found a record for: Findlay, George (Mrs) (Proprietor), 23 February 1907 - But who is buried here? It’s for lair 210. (doesn't match any death dates for family that I can tell. Find the burial ledger, email to Aberdeen and ask?)

Classic Ralph "Dad / Grandpa" Jokes in Honor of Father's Day

Ralph sharing a tickle and a laugh
with great grandson GF. August 2012

It's Father's Day here in the US! And it seems only appropriate to share some of Ralph's classic Dad / Grandpa jokes. 

Remember another one that isn't recorded here? Send it my way! 

• Do you know what you get when you pick a pig's nose? Ham Boogers! (??? Ralph told this to a student during a stressful flying moment.)
• What did one strawberry say to the other strawberry? I’m worried about Mom...I think she’s in a jam!
• Did you get a haircut? No, I actually got them all cut! Or...Yes, can you tell which one?
• Do you know why they build a fence around cemeteries? Because people are dying to get in!
• Did you know that they won’t let anyone living in Bountiful (or wherever) be buried in (name a cemetery). Why? Because they’re living. You don’t bury living people.
• How does an elephant hide in the strawberry patch? He paints his toenails red!
• Ralph liked to remind folks about the importance of emphasis on the right word in a sentence when talking. His example was: “My, but you do a good job.” Or, “My butt you do a good job.”
• How did you sleep? With my eyes closed!
• How do you like your eggs? Cooked!
• If Ralph caught you yawning he'd say, "There's a nap for that!" (A play on "There's an app for that.")
• Ralph also had one about a young kid trying to teach his parent a computer skill. And the kid calls it an “ID-10-T” error...spelling “idiot."
• A bagpiper finished with his practice and had to run to the store. He parked at the store and proceeded to go inside, when he realized he forgot to lock his car doors - didn't want anyone to steal his pipes! So he rushed back to the car...to find that someone had put a second set of bagpipes in. (!)
• Why do bagpipers have large families? Because wives will do anything to get them to stop playing!

Ralph telling one of his classic "Dad" jokes, and Ella sings "Haste Ye Back"Filmed 20 September 2020, in Park City, UT (Min 0:48)
> Ralph, with son BM and grandson RM, sharing bagpipe jokes.
Filmed at Ralph's home on 27 November 2020. (Min 1:00)

Airborne: Ralph's Daughter Piloting Through Her Fears

A Cessna 152
(Image Source)

On a clear day in 2003 or 2004, Ralph’s daughter BR arrived at General Aviation in Salt Lake City, for her daughter AG (Ralph’s granddaughter), who was working toward her pilot's license, to have her next lesson with Ralph. Despite being the daughter of a pilot and having grown up flying with Ralph, one of the most experienced and careful pilots ever, BR had a terrible fear of flying. However, it had been weighing on her for some time she needed to get over her fear. So upon arrival at the airport, she said to her dad, “Can I schedule with you to go flying sometime?” Ralph looked at her and said, “Now’s perfect! Let’s get in!” Ralph probably figured it was now or never! What was the likelihood that BR would be up for going another time? They climbed into the Cessna 152, a two-seater, with BR in the left seat - where the pilot-in-command sits. They did the pre-flight and taxied out. Ralph instructed: “Take it up!” They were soon airborne, and they were flying the pattern that took them over the University of Utah and back through the canyon a little bit and out. They came across a flock of seagulls - always had to be watchful of them as a bird strike could prove fatal for all parties involved. Crisis averted. Things were going well. Then all of a sudden, BR started to have a panic attack. She was frozen at the controls and was crying. “Dad, I can’t do this. You have to take over. Please take over.” Ralph didn’t take over. But he very calmly and quietly reassured her: “You’re ok. You can do this. I’m right here.” Even though Ralph wouldn’t take over the controls, he expressed full confidence in her - he wouldn’t let her fail - and it gave BR the comfort she was needing. They continued to fly. And they flew the pattern a couple more times before they touched back down in Salt Lake City (though BR declined Ralph’s offer to land in Heber, Utah, on the other side of the mountain, to grab something to eat near that airport). “It was a wonderful experience,” she tenderly related. “I can’t imagine how many other [students] had that experience with Dad.”

……….

• From a phone interview with BR on 30 April 2021.
• Read the entire collection of Ralph's flying experiences here.

Cheers to 60 Years! Celebrating 6 Decades of Ralph's Flight Instruction

Ralph's License and
Medical Certificate

The year 2021 is a milestone year in Ralph's flying career - it marks 60 years since he became a flight instructor! 

After earning his private pilot’s license in his early 20s, Ralph then earned his commercial and instructor licenses. Each license was a step up and represented some of the proudest moments of his life. Many of his professions were related to flying in some way, including teaching flying, selling airplanes and helicopters, flying for the forest service, and working as a reservation agent for Continental/United Airlines. Ella would say, “He'd rather be in the air than on the ground!” No doubt about that!

Over the course of his career, he estimated that he logged over 12,000 hours in the air, he's had tens of thousands of take-offs and landings, and he taught hundreds of students, many of whom have also become instructors or commercial airline pilots. 

What made him an excellent pilot and a legend of a flight instructor? As Ralph liked to say, “There are old pilots, and there are bold pilots, but there are no old, bold pilots.” He was known for his depth of experience, for his calm teaching style, for his instinctual handling of the aircraft, and for truly loving helping others learn to fly. Many of Ralph’s students have said his influence was so great, they think of him every time they fly.

I had hoped to have a big celebration...Picture a rented-out a hangar as the venue, the Top Gun theme playing, guest speakers, a slide show on a large screen, pilot friends and former students coming to join in the day, and the sharing of some of Ralph's most memorable flying moments. It would have been awesome to arrange to have Ralph's 3 favorite aircraft there: A Bonanza, a Gulfstream, and a Hughes 500 helicopter. And refreshments of course, with the buffet spread including blonde brownies and sugar cookies in the shape of airplanes. And heck, while we're dreaming big, let's add some sky writers, planes pulling banners, and the Blue Angels! And commemorative pins for all attendees - Ralph would add his to his Tilley hat. And a beautifully designed coffee-table-style book showcasing photos, memorabilia, and brag-worthy stories and tributes.

In lieu of all that, we'll extend the celebration throughout this year, and I'll share stories here - from Ralph himself, from his pilot friends, and from his family. Feel free to play the Top Gun theme song and chomp on blonde brownies while you read. (For me, that's still a worthy consolation. :D) And we can still make the coffee-table book. 

Cheers to 60 years!

Ralph's log book recording the day he earned his instructor license: 9-18-61 (see the last line)

Passed Flight Instructor (see the last line)

..........

Read the entire collection of Ralph's flying experiences here.