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| Wills
Wing - Remembrances of Rob Kells |
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Rob Kells passed away on August 9th, 2008 after battling prostate cancer for nearly two years. Rob was our friend and business partner for more than thirty years, and our sense of loss at his passing is inexpressible. For those of you who knew Rob personally, we know you will understand, and we know that you share our loss.
Add Your Remembrance · View images/slideshow of Rob |
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11/08/09
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There were so many of us who grew up through hang gliding over the years as teenagers. I remember the first time I met Rob in the 70's, and being a female pilot, my first impression was "here we go again another cocky pilot",; but over time we all matured through the sport, and went our different direction were ever the wind blew us or cloud street took us...I ended up in Hawaii, and miss all my big brothers and sisters of hang gliding that I met through this great sport..I wish all those that are still around peace and to those who have gotten their wings "a hu hou Kakou" til we meet again......Aloha Eileen
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- Eileen Adames-Debauche
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08/10/09
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I run a business selling power hand tools, with after the sale support and service. I am also a hang glider pilot and have met Rob a few times at Wills Wing either picking up a new glider or having an old one repaired. I have modeled my sales business after 'Rob's Way' - treating all customers as a friend and going out of my way for each and every one of them.
Rob was a person that I said to myself would be nice to 'get to know' if only circumstances were different.
As you can see, Rob made an indelible impression on me with my business AND in my life. I, too, shall never forget him.
Thanks Rob.
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- Jim Shaw
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08/10/09
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As we mark the one year anniversary of the loss of Rob Kells, our friend and business partner for more than 30 years, we’d like to take a moment to reflect, to say thank you, and to share some thoughts with you on where we are, and where we’re headed.
First, we’d like to thank all of you for the support you extended to Rob during his nearly two year battle with his illness. Your thoughts, your prayers, your phone calls and emails, meant a great deal to him, and to us.
And we’d like to thank you for the support you have shown to Wills Wing, both during Rob’s illness and since his passing.
In his position as president, and head of sales at Wills Wing, Rob was the most visible “face” of the company, and his natural and persistent inclination to treat each customer as a personal friend was a big part of how Wills Wing pilots felt about their relationship to the company. We know that many of you were concerned about what would happen to Wills Wing without Rob’s presence. At the same time, most of us learned early on in our participation in hang gliding that we could lose a close friend at any time, and that life does go on, however hard it may be to imagine that it will.
And Wills Wing has, and will go on. We are fully committed to the future, and to moving forward. Steve Pearson has assumed the lion’s share of Rob’s responsibilities for conducting demo days, and we have already held six successful demo events thus far in 2009. Steve, Mike and Linda have picked up the remainder of Rob’s administrative and customer support functions, and each of the test pilots are flying a few extra gliders a month to make up for the ones Rob can no longer fly. We saw a significant downturn in sales that began when the worst of the financial crisis hit early in 2008, but that decline bottomed out and began to recover early in this year, and we’ve seen higher sales levels than last year in each of the last four months. We’ve kept our delivery times reasonably low this year, we’ve enjoyed some significant successes with the T2’s and T2C’s, and the company is on solid footing in all respects. In all, we are re-dedicated to being the best company we can be; to designing and building the best gliders, to providing the best service of which we are capable, and to treating each of our customers as a friend. And we are fully confident that, with your continued support, we’ll succeed at that.
We won’t forget Rob. We acknowledged his memory with a brief program during our Wallaby event this spring. The USHPA has created a special award in his memory. James Tindle ran the first annual Rob Kells Memorial Competition this past spring. We will remember Rob every time we get together with old friends to celebrate hang gliding, and every time we make new friends in the same pursuit. And we’ll go on.
And we thank you all for being a part of it.
Sincerely,
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- Mike and Linda Meier, and Steve Pearson
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07/21/09
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Tonight I was searching the web to find details of our family friend, Jan Cameron, who passed away this morning from cancer. This time on the web has led me down the hangliding path - which I had not been in many years, since my brother Chris Bulger passed away in 1985. I am very sad to learn of Rob Kell's passing. He was one of my idols and I always enjoyed seeing him at competitions or when he visited Chris in the Pacific Northwest. Now our brothers are flying again in heaven!
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- Michelle Diaz (Shelly Bulger)
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04/14/09
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Over the years I have had the opportunity to talk to Rob by phone and in person a number of times.
He was always upbeat...but focused. Which I am sure he brought to this battle too.
I was diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2005, and I couldn't agree more with Rob's statement to get yourself checked annually.
Guys done tend to talk about health items, unless it is some type of a "badge of honor", but we need to talk about this cancer more. Women have done an incredible job with breast cancer and we must do the same about prostate cancer.
Warm breezes, Rob.
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- Pat Caulfield
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03/22/09
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Dear Rob,
only the good die young.
May your last Wings lift you forevermore.
Manfred
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- Manfred Boehm / Fliegerboehm, Germany
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03/10/09
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It has been many months since I'd last spoke with Rob. I'm so sad to hear he has passed. I met Rob many years ago when his daughter, Maddie and my son Adrien were in first grade together. We were on a fieldtrip and I remember this guy in a red shirt who kept making reference to soaring birds in the park. He kept taking the attention of the kids away from the tour guide. But he had such enthusiasm and all the kids were asking questions, so the tour guide just let it slide. I was a paraglider pilot and noticed his Wills Wing shirt so we bonded right away. He made me happy every time I would see him. . for many years thereafter. I had some special moments with him and I think of him from time to time. His strength, kindness and peace will forever reside in my heart.
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- Monica Edwards
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02/25/09
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Rob came to Phoenix in 1985 with some new HPs. It was one of those really nice looking days and we went up the hill. We took off into soarable air and hooked one in the bowl. Rob and I thermaled eyeball to eyeball all the way to about 7000'. He was determined to prove the superiority of the new HP. I was bent on defending the honor of the Seedwings icon. After we landed Rob said "You thermal that thing real well". After all these years I will never forget that compliment from one of the best pilots in the sport. Rob was smart, cool headed and always fun to talk to. I have Wills hats all over my garage from all the demos he has let me fly. Perhaps his greatest legacy is his part in former and current excellent Wills gliders.
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- Dave Smith
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01/28/09
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I stopped at Wills Wing in September of 1977 on a cross country trip. I met Mrs. Wills and Rob along with everyone who worked at Wills Wing. Rob asked me to stay with him for the week at his apartment. That week I filmed him at different sites because he was in the process of doing certs on all of the Wills Wing gliders. We flew at the Big Black Meet and at lots of other sites that week. I had films of Bob Wills with me that I showed him and everyone at Wills Wing. Mrs. Wills told Bob to find me a Wills Wing glider so I could try one. One Friday night Bob took me to a 3800 ft site and we flew together 4 miles to the landing area. He was the best that I ever flew with in my four years of hang gliding. I'll always remember him.
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- JIM BEST
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01/17/09
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I remember the day I first met Rob Kells, he was one of the most energized and friendly people I had encountered. Rob had just joined Wills Wing Inc. and was a breath of fresh air for the company and for all of us in the sport. To say it simply in a word, he was "Unique." That was over thirty years ago, and the impression "he" made during our first encounter is as vivid and clear now, as if it happened yesterday. Over the years he never altered from this heading...truly amazing... It is hard not admire such a talented and influential man as he was, and on so many levels. Rob was truly a model of wholesome integrity and vivacious spirit.
My heart is deeply saddened with the news of his passing...
Rob will always live in our memories...
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- Chris D. Perkins
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