Lee Uberbacher

[Steve Helmick]

I just got an email from Dave Gardner that Lee Uberbacher passed this weekend. Lee called Howard Saturday around 11am to say he was on his death bed with the flu bug and wouldn't be able to come over for the NW Skyraider's annual luncheon at Howard's. It's now Sunday evening, so it wasn't long after that last bit of humor. Lee was a Jersey native, but also lived in Dallas area for awhile.
  Steve

[Dan McEntee]

  Sorry to hear this. Lee lived here in the St. Louis area in the mid to late 80's I think it was, working as an independent contractor at McDonnell-Douglas, and flew with him quite a bit back then. Nice guy. Sudden deaths are a shock. My younger brother Jim passed away just a year ago. Was fine one minute, doing honey-dos around the house, then just laid down and died from an enlarged heart while washing his hands. You just never know.
  My sympathies to his family.
   Dan McEntee

[Randy Powell]

Lee was an odd and funny guy. He was a lot of fun to be around and always had a good time. He will be missed.

[Shultzie]

This is very sad news today about our "MR.LEE" Uberbacher. I have been digging through my folders of photos trying to locate two of my shots of Lee? Here are but a few that I found on posted on Flying Lines and other web locations by other friends and photo snippity snappers.

Any one having some good photos and stories for the memories of Lee it would be so appreciated if we could share a few of them here on "SPARKY'S SPACE

[Alan Resinger]

Lee hadn't too active the last few years but he always seemed to show up at NW contests to spectate and shoot the bull.  I always enjoyed Lee's company having first met him in the mid 80's.  He'll be missed.
Alan Resinger

[John Leidle]

  I wanted some of you people to know my friend Lee. I was at a swap meet in Dec 1991 & the club Sec Steve scott told me he had a guy that I was to meet because we both lived up North of Seattle & he was new & we could fly together. After the swap meet Lee invited me to his new house that he just moved into   .  He had just come up from Saint Louis. He had 2 big planes on the board & a few others. One was the Spectrom by Jim Casile. He offered to help in any way & this included giving me anything he had ,including engines or balsa. I was not through the pattern yet & he offered to fly with me too. I wondered why he was so nice & soon found that was just the way he wanted to be.
    Over time we flew some & worked on our planes together some & BSed a lot. We went to the same Chinese resturant for over 10 years because it was cheap. We caught a lot of NFL football games & useally agreed on who to root for. I went to his wedding & worked on his house projects a few times,,, the list goes on. 
   As time went on he didnt feel like flying so much & some of his buiding wasnt perfect I think his eyesight was a lot worse than he told me. I got him setup at the VA hospital in Seattle because he was without medical coverage & wasnt aware he could go. 
   He joined the Air Force after high school and served in the Strategic Air Command in Alaska maintance on the jets that carried warheads and kept us safe , you may thank him for that on your own time.
   The last 10 years he retired ,started building more as a mtter of fact a couple Winters ago he built 3 full size stunters in single winter.  I saw him at the feild a lot & took into account the last 5 years he liked flying the Di Ablo he got from Dave Gardner.
   Lee was a very good man he didnt take out his frustration on other people & woud actully help anyone he felt he was able to help, had a good sense of humor. I believe many people could improve the world by his example.
   I feel a privelige to have been his buddy, we both grew in the 21 years we knew each other & I benifited from knowng him.   My last talk with him was a month ago he had just installed a new furnace...
    thanks for all you offer Lee it was my pleasure,    And yes buddy Baltimore will stomp the 49ers for you,   John

[Chris Cox]

Very sorry to hear this.  Lee was indeed a gentleman, with a great sense of humour.  I was always delighted to see him come up the the Vancouver contests.  As others have already said, Lee will be missed.

[Jerry Eichten]

John L.  - That was a very nice tribute you shared about Lee.  Thank you.

-Jerry

[John Leidle]

  It's my pleasure Jerry. Thank you for reading it.
   J.

[De Hill]

Lee was a good  guy. I knew him from the days when he was a member of the Dallas Model Aircraft Association.

De Hill

[James C. Johnson]

This news was indeed sad.. Thank You John for the fine tribute you gave Lee..

Lee came to the first air show here in Olympia and flew his Rabe Bearcat.. it had seen many flights and was soaked with oil.. he got a bad launch on the second flight and it crashed. He took it in stride, we picked up the pieces together. He invited me to his house up North and I pulled in one evening and it was like having an instant friend. He wished me success in my flying and gave me the advice of an old timer.. shared history.. showed me his planes. He was a gentle soul for sure..

Randy... I think most of us modelers are little odd in our own way.. but I will say, no man ever loved a model airplane more than Lee.. he was a lifer...

He was my friend too...

Jim

[Allen Brickhaus]

I am saddened by this news.  I knew him in the St Louis area.

Allen