Glen Avalear

This kit is named after and dedicated to Glen Avalear, a long time friend and fellow rocketeer to Jim Flis.  Glen passed away in July of 2008 and left a void in the lives of all who knew him.

Jim first met Glen at the Pearl River ModRoc conventions hosted by Dick Nelson in Pearl River, NY.  That was back in the early 1980's.  Jim and Glen formed a fast friendship on the common ground of model rocketry but that quickly expanded into just a simple friendship, not bound to any particular subject.  Glen also became a fixture at our NEMROC conventions back in the late 80's and early 90's.  No sooner had Jim opened FlisKits than Glen contacted him to congratulate him and offer his help and support.  Glen helped to introduce us to local hobby shops and we made a point to get together whenever we found ourselves in each others area.  Having family in Poughkeepsie as well as an annual launch (NERRF) in that area made this quite easy at times.

It didn't take long before Glen became one of our document proof readers, helping us develop some of the best instructions in the industry.  And he never asked for anything in return.  He just wanted to be involved in helping bring quality rocketry to the rocketeer.  He helped FlisKits with their documentation, but further he helps local rocketeers with classes, launches and more.  He would go out of his way to get sought after collectable kits into the hands of people wanted to build them rather than horde them.

Glen was a gentleman in the truest sense of the word.  More than that, he was a gentle man.  Everyone who met him knows the truth of this.  Never a harsh word would pass his lips as he preferred talking about the good in people and events around him.

He was an inspiration to me and the inspiration for this kit.  The hobby of model rocketry was diminished with his passing and I am certain that many other activities and lives were also diminished with his passing.  He will be remembered.