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Q-talk 122 - Runway 27 L - Dave Richardson

We lost three fellow Q brothers in the month of March; Robert Justin to an attempted off airport landing crash in his Tri-Q, Dave Richardson to an apparent heart attack, and Damian "Batman" Gregory to cancer. These men will be missed by our family of Q builders and fliers.

While some of you knew the other two better that the rest of us, we all knew Dave Richardson as our newsletter editor from 2001 through 2004. We also knew his wife Susie who helped him edit the newsletter and was with him every step of the way in building and flying his Tri-Q. Susie submitted the following letter:

Dear Quickie Buddies,

I wanted to reach out to you and somehow share your grief after the shock of Dave's death. After all, you are like family to me. You must be feeling confused too, and in a state of disbelief. How could this have happened? What is going on? Why him? We are left trying to figure out a way to adequately express and understand the mix of emotions after the loss of someone we loved. Just how do we do that? Unfortunately, I do not have all the answers. I am struggling too. I guess you just have to let go, send up a prayer, take a deep breath and trust that God is in control. I truly believe that He is with Dave now as He is with us always.

Dave absolutely loved you guys. You meant the world to him. Seriously, every night at the dinner table we would discuss the news from the Qlist. We would talk about someone's new engine, the plans for the upcoming fly-in, someone's test flight and on and on. You played a big role in his life. He felt a strong bond, like a brotherhood, with you. He would often say to others that he loved being around you because you understood him. You understood the need to fly. You did not think he was CRAZY for building a plane. You were able to dream with him and could see the endless possibilities. You created a supportive environment for him. I cannot thank you enough for providing that sanctuary and being there for him in so many ways.

I also want to thank you for the thoughtful sympathy cards, the phone calls, and for the donations to our church. You are such a great group of people! That is another example of how special you are. I could feel hugs from all over the country. It doesn't get any better than that.

To Jim Masal, Keith Welsh, and Terry Crouch, you have my sincere gratitude for traveling all the way to Ohio for the calling hours and the memorial service. Joseph Snow, an Ohio boy, also came. You brought tears to my eyes. You gave of your time and Dave would have been so touched by your gesture. God bless you!

I have enclosed a copy of the note from the funeral home and the church bulletin. Hopefully they can be scanned into the computer so you can all share in the ceremonies. The service was filled with music (one of Dave's gifts) and his love of flying.

I have asked Doug Humble to continue to send the newsletter to me. I will want to stay up to date on your progress and celebrate with you as you accomplish your dreams.

Again, thank you for your friendship and I wish you all the very best.

With love,

Susie Richardson 3706 Vira Rd. Stow, OH 44224 (330) 686-2642



You can order a printed copy of Q-talk #122 by using the Q-talk Back Issue Order Page.