District VII—Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Wisconsin
Tim Jesky
Vice President
timjesky@charter.net
2886 E. Country Ln., Monroe MI 48162
Tel.: (734) 384-6085;
www.amadistrict-vii.org
I think it’s best to begin this month’s column by extending an apology to the members who have requested that I write about someone special in their club who has passed away. I respectfully declined and explained that I did not want to turn this space into an obituary column, and I hoped that they would understand.
Having recently lost a very special friend and fellow modeler, I’m forced to reconsider. Please take a few minutes to read about my friend, Paul Floccari. He positively impacted quite a few lives in his 91 years. I’m so honored and fortunate to be one of them.
Paul was born on December 23, 1923, in Columbus, Ohio, and died on December 31, 2014. He had such a joy and zest for life, it was only fitting that he managed to get in all 365 days of his last calendar year.
Life was not always easy for Paul. He lost his mother at a very young age and, along with his sister, was placed in the care of relatives, which turned out to be a less-than-ideal situation. Often those circumstances can diminish a spirit, but Paul’s only grew stronger.
When World War II broke out, as part of America’s Greatest Generation, Paul answered the call to duty, enlisted in the Navy and, in the course of his service, piloted troop-landing craft for the invasion on the beaches of Normandy. He went on to become an aircraft mechanic and retired from the U.S. Navy in the mid-1960s.
Fast forward 25 years when my sons and I joined our first RC club. It was opening day for the field and we were there to help with the chores of getting things ready for the season. Indian City RC Club in Michigan had large cable reels as pilot stations that we would put our transmitters on when getting ready to fly, and were used to identify which group of channels flew from there. The reels were painted the color that corresponded with antennae flags that were used. Choosing to walk over and work with Paul began our friendship. To this day I consider that to be one of the best decisions I ever made.
As it turned out, Paul was one of the club’s instructor pilots and we looked to him to get us started. He looked over our airplane, recommended a few changes, and away we went. It became evident early on that my boys were going to be better students than their old man.
Despite setbacks (that’s code for I stuffed a lot of airplanes into the ground), Paul was quick to give encouragement and lend a hand. He had this way about him that lifted your spirits and had you laughing, regardless of just having planted your favorite aircraft.
My family and I weren’t the only one blessed with Paul’s kindness. Throughout the years, I’ve witnessed him help dozens of people get started in aeromodeling and teach them the skills to be self-reliant. The days his airplane never left the ground because he was helping others with a problem were many. He’d always say that he had plenty of time to fly another day.
Paul, my sons, and I spent many a day out at our home field and frequently traveled around the Midwest and beyond attending Giant Scale events. Those times will not only remain some of my fondest memories in the hobby, but among my best.
Time marched on as it always has and my friend became less able to handle the travel. Although our trips to the field together became less frequent, he never lost his enthusiasm for the hobby and the people who were part of it. Paul also happened to be a great storyteller. Hearing some of the challenges the early RC modelers faced was a lesson is perseverance presented in a way that left you laughing until your sides ached.
For those of you who were fortunate enough to have been touched by someone cut from that same special cloth as my friend Paul Floccari, I dedicate this column to his or her memory as well. We all know that this kind of person comes few and far between, and the very best way to honor and preserve the memory is to carry the torch that he or she passes on.
Take a kid flying.
