Our friend rperre was lost in a training exercise on Thursday. As those who knew him were aware, he was an Apache helicopter instructor, as well as a LinuxMCE enthusiast. Many of us secretly envied his expertise in so many fields, not the least of which was skilfully maneuvering one of the most difficult craft in the air to fly. Beyond simply being a brilliant guy, he was an admirable person just to talk with. I very much enjoyed his company, and was often taken aback by his even keel and demeanor, even when people deserved a bit of backlash. He was just an all around great guy. A Dutch native, he became a US Citizen in 2010. He served with honor in Afghanistan and Africa. He was just 39.
He is survived by his wife Wilma, and step children, Lindsey Fain, Brooks Latta, Emily Anne Latta, and his grandson, John Parker. For those of you who pray, keep them in yours. It must be dismal to endure this personal tragedy, surrounded by the destruction that has occurred in Alabama just a day earlier. He will be very sorely missed.
rust in vrede
