Remembering Alex… We’ll send some rockets towards heaven. Keep an eye out for us. Missed by the entire Northwest Rocketry groups.
This was put together by Robert Krausert.
I wanted to let you know personally that my son, Alex McLaughlin, was found dead at his home this afternoon. Alex so loved rocketry and all of his friends in rocketry that I feel certain he would want me to let you know of his passing. I thank you both for being his friend. I don't know yet what kinds of arrangements will be made - but I do not think that a formal funeral will be forth coming. I suspect he would rather have a grand party ... and if it were legal to do so he'd probably like his ashes launched in the nose cone of one of his favorite rockets with deployment at apogee (did I get that right?) I never quite got all the lingo .. but I did love his enthusiasm for rocketry.
If you have questions or concerns please contact me at 503-234-8431, or this email address or at 1415 SE Tenino St Portland Or 97202
Sincerely
Deb McLaughlin
(Alex's mother)
From Jeff Moore
This is indeed sad news!
On behalf of the members of the Bend Oregon Rocketry Group (BORG), I'd like to express my condolences to his family and friends!
Alex was a great friend to the BORG as a group and to us as individuals! He will be greatly missed by all of us!
Do we know what happened to him?
Is there any reason why we couldn't launch his ashes and scatter them at 34.9 thousand feet?
At the least we may want to consider a memorial launch.
Jeff Moore
BORG
From Dennis Winningstad
I think 1/2 at Brothers and 1/2 at Black Rock would be a good tribute…Alex loved both places
From Rod Moorehead
How terribly sad!
I sure will miss being at launches with Alex. He was one of the many unique characters that makes rocketry in the northwest so great.
Fly on Alex
Rod Moorehead
From Sej@aol.com
Way, way
bummer news.
Um . . . would incorporating ashes in a fuel grain be out of the question?
Ashes scattered by a rocket launched with an M motor: Cool
Being PART of an M motor: Cooler
From Gary Harris
I am very sorry to hear this. I will miss Alex as my friend, one who lived as if each day was the most important. My condolences.
Gary Harris
Comment from Fred Azinger – ideas for tribute
Yes, many formulas include lampblack or similar to make it opaque and control IR heating.
One would think ash would suffice.
Sounds like there are several choices:
Part of the motor
Deployed at Apogee
Ballistic burial
All seem fitting.
From John Lyngdal
Folks,
Incorporating human ashes is a motor has some problems. Besides the unknown effect on the motor, one has to realize that all the clean up rags and bowl washings would also contain some portion of Alex's remains. I'm having problems with this situation as I see it as disrespectful.
I think launching Alex's ashes and scattering them at apogee is the best course of action.
John
From Larry Colvin
I just opened my email and am in shock. Alex brought such energy and excitement to the launches he attended and he will be greatly missed. Personally, he was a great supporter of the Bend Rocketry group's projects and I will always be in debt to him for that. The launches at Brothers certainly won't be the same without him.
Larry Colvin
BORG
From Scott Bowers
I posted some pictures of Alex on NWR. The one labeled Alex and team hung in
his living room. Rick Clapp took that picture at Balls 2004 and Alex told me
it was his favorite because his good friends were in it doing what they
loved to do.
I am so sad that he is gone it is hard to put into words. Yea, it sucks bad,
no way around it, but I think it is better to serve his memory by sharing
the fun times, as many have said, Alex was many things, but depressing he
was not. He was full of life and animated, and that is the way I choose to
remember him.
From Sunriver – Bob Grossfeld
Shock is the first feeling, Very sad.
Alex was one of the first persons I meet when I wandered out to the
launch site at Brothers. His support for the BORG projects and his
love for rocketry leaves me without words. I think I need to go fly
something....
My thoughts and prayers go to the family and all of his many friends in this
tragic time of loss.
just speechless,
Bob Grossfeld
Sunriver Nature Center & Observatory
From Christopher Scott
All I have been saying all day is, "Damn it"! I really liked Alex. I always
thought of him as a "Guerilla Rocketeer" in the best sense of the term. At
least for me it was cool to watch (and sometimes help) with all his
projects--which were always cool, one way or another. Hell, he was just a
punk kid when I met him out at Monroe--the good old days for Puget Sound
rocketry for sure.
He will be missed...
Christopher
From Bill Earls
I have been away for a long time,now the day I get into my mail,I see this horrible news ;-( ... Alex always had a away to make us look at things through his eyes,we may not have always agreed with him,but when it was time to see him launch P Motors in huge rockets we stood in AWWWWWW!!! Alex was and in our hearts is a bright visionary who pushed out side the box many,many times. Alex will be missed by all.
I Will Miss You Alex
God Speed
Bill
From Steve Thatcher
having met Alex and his dad back in the early 90s when Monroe was in
operation, all I can say is that a great guy has gone way before his
time. It isn't supposed to be this way and he will be truly missed.
my thoughts and prayers to the family and his many friends in this
tragic time of loss, Steve Thatcher
I remember being at the Binder farm at FITS when Alex was there with a cluster rocket to launch. It was on the pad and on the count down when Scott’s dog ran out to the pad. So the count down was stopped and Scott got his dog out of the range and the count down started again. The button was just about to be pushed when Alex said wo wo wo stop…… I forgot to arm my electronics’. That was Alex always forgetting the important parts. When I first met Alex was at a Brothers launch and I seen Alex pound more rockets in the ground then any one that I know of. We used to give him a hard time all the time about it.
But Alex always kept at it and never gave up.
Then Alex went to the dark side and started doing EX, he had some interesting motors in the beginning, but in the end Alex built motors that we all can just dream about. That was Alex though, always thinking bigger J I will never forget you my friend, Watch out for all the rockets racing towards the Heavens. Your friends will all fly with you on there minds here and forever. You were a one of a kind friend. You will be missed always!
John Hawkins