This afternoon at 4:30 pm EDT Gil Reedy passed away leaving yet another large hole in many hearts especially my own.
Gil would have been 68 next month but the ravages of liver and lung cancer won out over another birthday. We me on a cols Wednesday evening in 1975 when my son Fred and I appeared at Gil's front door for the purpose of starting anothe Controline Club. This one turned out to become the Harrisburg Aero Modeling Society, HAMS, for short. Another man in attendance at that meeting was Tom Hartman who is the one generally recognized as the creator of our anacronim. Tom had the anachronim the rest of us had to come up with the words it stood for!
Gil was doe me the brother I never had naturally. He was my anchor to windward no matter what the cause or woe to come my way. We shared many fun hours flying together and enjoying flying in tandum in the same circle. He was never one to cary grudges no anger. I have yet to meet anyone who had a cross word about him.
Tomorrow Sondra and I were to have driven up to Mechanicsburg, PA to see if we might get him to liven up a bit. We'll still go up but not with the same optimistic miaaion in mind. When our son Fred died in January of 2008 Gil and his wife Linda were with us sithin two days; now it is our turn to offer some solace to Linda and his son Dan and daughter Julie.
Fair the well my good friend! I am sure you'll be enjoying your new flying field eternally!
Sincerely,
Phil Spillman