The passing of Jeff Welliver

[Allen Brickhaus]

Hi All
   It is with sadness that I forward this E-Mail. Please pray for Jeffs family. The saving Grace is we know he is in a better  place with no more pain.


Laus Deo


Joe



You are on Jeff Welliver's email address book so you are receiving this email.
Jeff died this morning after his four month bout with cancer. Death came quickly for Jeff. Monday he was taken off chemotherapy, put on hospice and given only pain medications. Tuesday he was taken to the hospital. Today, Wednesday, he died at 9:12 AM.
Many of us will miss this man who excelled at caring for people, encouragement, writing, organization, was a devoted follower of Christ as a member of Grace Free Lutheran Church and was a competitve control line stunt flier participating in the Minneapolis Pistonpoppers.
A funeral service will be held for Jeff Monday, November 8 at 1:00 PM at the Chapel of the Association of the Free Lutheran Seminary, 3110 E. Medicine Lake Road, Plymouth, MN. Visitation will be 12:00 to 1:00.
 
Your thoughts and prayers are appreciated.
Toni Welliver

[wwwarbird]

 Through returning to the Control Line hobby roughly ten years ago, one thing has definitely become a constant and regular occurrence for me. That is meeting good people, and making great new friends. I cannot describe how much I value and enjoy that fact about my involvement in Control Line modeling.
 I met Jeff when I first discovered the Minneapolis Piston Poppers club and became a member about that same ten years ago. As a newer "Retread" at the time, I quickly came to realize that although a bit "windy", he was a just good guy and was always trying to help with good advice. He definitely was a big help in me getting up to speed again in the hobby.
 Jeff was a longtime driving force in the Piston Popper club for sure, and was an immense help in securing our current flying field when our previous one was lost to development.
 We all loved to tease Jeff about his typical rambling, but deep down we all knew he was a great guy with his heart in the right place.
 A good friend and regular flying buddy, he will be greatly missed.

Wayne Willey

[Jim Snelson]

We will miss visiting with Jeff at VSC. Our deepest sympathy goes out to his family.

Jim and Emily Snelson

[Bill Little]

I am so saddened to hear of this.  My thoughts and prayers go out for his family.

I always really enjoyed corresponding with Jeff, and he was always more than willing to give helpful suggestions on any subject.

Bill Little

[Elwyn Aud]

My sympathy and prayers go out to his family. I can remember Jeff from several VSC's where he always seemed to have a great looking Tempest. Here's the best photo I could find. Wish I had one where the pilot was in focus.

[Leester]

Jeff was one of the first to lend me a helping hand when I came back to C/L. Many emails passed between us, I never did meet him which I regret. He sent me this pic of his first Tempest which he crashed at 2004 VSC. He had a habit of that it seems.

[Steve Scott]

I moved to the Twin Cities from Seattle 15 years ago and hooked up with the Minneapolis Piston Poppers. My son, Alex, was only 3 at the time and I was a profound sky "plunderer" who could only manage a few basic CL maneuvers. I didn't put much effort into developing my model flying skills but met this "talkative" rolly-polly gentleman and thus began a thoroughly enjoyable friendship over the years.

Jeff was not only a competitive flyer but a tireless advocate of our hobby. He'd gladly offer advice—even when not solicited  .

The Piston Poppers participate annually in a full scale fly-in at a nearby airport and Jeff would routinely gather a group of kids to sit at his feet inside the pilot's circle while he put up a pattern, describing the various maneuvers. He enjoyed working with my son as he went from a wide-eyed 5 year old his Student ½A trainer to flying basic maneuvers with his Streak Trainer (where he did his first loop at the same fly-in) to mastering the Beginner Pattern where he took home the 1st place trophy at Sig flying his B-40 powered Primary Force. My son is now a freshman in college and hopes to major in aeronautical engineering.

We lost our field shortly after Jeff assumed Club President (for the umpteenth time) and worked tirelessly to develop one of the inaugural AMA/EPA partnerships and secured our present (and unnamed) flying field.

This rotund gentleman will be sorely missed.

[Clint Ormosen]

So sorry to hear of Jeffs' passing. I met him at VSC 20 and again at VSC 21. I spoke with him at length about the Tempest he was flying, the same model that has graced the box of the RSM Tempest kit for a while now. Jeff was a super nice guy and I was looking forward to getting together with him at VSC 23 with my new Tempest model.
Many prayers for Jeff and his family.

[Will Hinton]

Jeff will truly be missed at FCM.  His encouragement and faithfulness was always welcome!  Now we must remember his family during this difficult time.  But, as has been said before, because of his faith he is in a wonderful place!
Will

[Joe Connelly]

I met Jeff a few years ago at a Milwaukee Circlemasters contest. I had done some flying but I just went to watch and I didn't know what to look for in the pattern. I told Jeff and he patiently sat beside me and went through the pattern as a couple of guys flew. He was very friendly and I felt as if I had known him all my life. He is one of a great many good people I have met since coming back into the hobby. I'll keep his family in my prayers.

Joe Connelly

[Dan McEntee]

Jeff is going to be missed. It is guys like him that are the foundation of the hobby. Your average Joe Bellcrank. He might not have ever made the top ten at the NATS, or had a room full of trophies, but he was one of the guys you were always glad to see when you pulled into the SIG contest or VSC. One of the reasons we toil, work and drive the long distances is because we know we're going to be hanging out with guys like Jeff.If you needed help, he had the info, parts or could tell you where to get it. Like Wayne said, just a great guy that was part of this big extended family of stunt. Every time we lose someone, that is kind of what it's like, losing a family member. The thoughts and prayers of me and my family go out to Jeff's family and the Piston Poppers club.
Best Regards,
Dan McEntee
Florissant, MO

[Dave Adamisin]

I am truly saddened by Jeff's passing. He was a large part of my memories from VSC 21. Big and I had the pleasure of his company and stories every morning at breakfast. I watched him fly and was impressed by not only his skill but also how he conducted himself. He knew what he was doing and focussed on do it well. Nice man.... He told me the true story of "The Wind And The Lion"..... Thanks Jeff..

[john e. holliday]

Another very fine gentleman gone on to better flying circles.  My condoleces to his lovely wife and family.  I missed seeing him at VSC last March.  Even seen him at the last SIG Contest.  He was one of the gentlemen that once you met him you never forgot him.

[RC Storick]

Truly Sad and my thoughts are with his family.

[Mike Keville]

Yep, we're gonna' miss that guy.  The only thing he loved more than model planes was his wife, Toni.  He was a real class act.

[Allen Brickhaus]

Amen,

Allen Brickhaus

[Mike Gretz]

I wish I had known about Jeff's illness.  Toni's email came as a complete shock. 

I first met and competed against Jeff in stunt at the 1970 Mankato Modeleers Contest, and then a few weeks later at the '70 NATS at Glenview, where Jeff was flying a beautifully finished red and gold Gieseke Nobler.  For the next two years I worked hard to become a competitive stunt flyer.  Jeff, his flying buddy Pete Simonson, and Mike Stott were my targets ... they were the guys to beat in this part of the country (Iowa, Minnesota, the Dakotas) at that time.  I'll never forget the pained look on Jeff's face when I finally did get out of 4th place and beat him and Pete at Fargo, but being the consumate gentleman he was, Jeff was the first to congratulate me.  The perfect role model for a young 19 year old to follow. 

Unfortunetely Jeff gave up model flying for a couple decades after his stunt soul mate Pete Simonson was killed in the crash of his Aeronca Chief in about 1973.  Nobody was happier then me when Jeff came back to modeling in the '90s! 

Goodbye good friend.  I miss you already.
Mike

[Mike Gretz]

Jeff windy?  No, that was just the overflowing LOVE inside this man.

[Steve Scott]

Jeff's services were held today.  Nice, simple service and a glorious sunny 61º day.

The Piston Poppers were very well represented.  A couple of our members go back to childhood with Jeff so it was an emotional day.  Afterward, about 5 of us headed over to the flying field and put up some flights in Jeff's honor.

For me, today was the first time I've held a CL handle in the last 3 years.

[wwwarbird]

Jeff windy?  No, that was just the overflowing LOVE inside this man.

 Hi Mike, it all happened pretty fast. I was flying at the field with Jeff less than a month ago. Living 100 miles from our club field I don't get up there as often as I'd like. I think is was only in August when he first found out about the cancer. My "windy" comment above was just a little poke at fun about how Jeff loved to talk. Anyone who knew Jeff certainly knows how he loved to talk airplanes, and everything else.

 
 As far as the service and all today, it was as nice a day overall as you could ask for considering what's just happened. It's definitely not gonna be the same around our field without Jeff and the venerable Tempest. It was a pretty hollow feeling out there today, but it felt good to fly.

BTW Steve, that well worn handle that you held (and flew with) today is one that Jeff gave me at our old field one day way back when. This was when I was first getting back into C/L flying. It was already well worn when he gave to me, and it was shortly after we'd first met. I'd never used an adjustable handle until then. After having me connect it to my first old Shoestring, he showed me how adjusting and narrowing the line spacing settled everything down. I've been using them ever since.