2/11/09

Nick Kelez 1941-2009

The modeling community has lost one of its greats. Nick passed away on Sunday, at age 68. His skills and craftsmanship were well known to members of SAM27 and MAC. He was always glad to help others with a bit of advice, or share a story from his wealth of experience. The man was a walking encyclopedia of aviation history, and a really nice guy. He will be sorely missed.

2 comments:

Dave W said...

I am glad that I knew Nick, though I only met him a few years ago. Nick was a really good guy.

Nick was a master craftsman (perhaps an overused expression, but it really applied to him). Nick was always glad to share his knowledge with fellow modelers. His show-and-tell was the highlight of SAM 27 meetings I attended.

I enjoyed our conversations about Cal and Raiders football, dachshunds, bicycles, fishing, radio control and free flight. I enjoyed Nick's sense of humor. And his little friend, Ruben, was a pleasure to be around.

I'll miss you, Nick! God bless you.

Anonymous said...

Apart from the excellence of his own building and the great interest he showed in our scale efforts, Nick had style and elegance. He elevated the tone of our flying sessions. I found myself looking forward to showing Nick my creations, hoping for a special detail that only he would appreciate.

I suspect he is now test driving a Mission 400 Plus 911. Race on Nick.

Tom W