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31
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March 21, 2007 - 3:23 PM
Craig McLaughlin
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Who WAS Alex McLaughlin?
Alex was a co-worker of mine at 'the day job'. We shared a common cube-wall. We strung Christmas lights around the top of our cubes, and left them up year round. We used to joke and call each other "cuz" for what I imagine is the obvious reason (we are / were not related... at least as far back as either of us ever looked -- not that this ever stopped us from abusing each other like we were close kin). Alex used to file bugs against my work; we'd then argue about them... and usually work to test / close them together.
Alex was full of passion for his rocketry. I remember all the stories and pictures he shared with me (and everyone else). There was a whole group of folks at the office who gave him little bits of chachki... all of which rode his Team's rocket(s)... and a few pieces of which actually were found again. :D
I remember when Alex got his jumbo bakery mixer -- all the better to mix powder / fuel. I remember thinking "Holy crap, he's gonna blow up his block..." ... not that he ever would, of course. For all his fun and goofing around, Alex was a professional. He was able to have so much fun BECAUSE he knew his stuff; not despite it.
Alex and I talked often about someday starting a space launch company. All we needed was the millions to take our dreams of throwing our butts off this planet to some form of reality. We were going to start working on a scale / prototype / demonstrator this coming summer.
We enjoyed the same beers. And mocking each other over them.
Alex was a friend, a cousin. He was kin, in all the ways that matter.
Alex, wherever you are 'cuz, know that you are missed. My beliefs allow me comfort in knowing that someday when I get to where you are, you'll be there with that wry grin of yours, a snarky comment, a 'shut up McLaughlin!' ... and then we'll go have some fun. ... then again, knowing us... it'll probably be danged warm there and we may want to try to find a cool beer. :D
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32
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March 21, 2007 - 4:52 PM
John Roberts
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33
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March 21, 2007 - 5:16 PM
Kent Newman
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For those that may have some interest, I did a quick edit on some raw BALLS footage from last year. It's a 10 MB file located at /alex/Alex1.mp4
VLC media player reads it pretty well and it can be sized to help resolution.
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34
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March 21, 2007 - 6:54 PM
Marty Weiser
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Very nice video and fitting memorial for Alex. I watched it while listening to Ina gadda da vida on the radio which somehow seems appropriate to me. That was my first trip to BALLS and the second or third time to meet Alex. The one I remember was at a Mansfield EX event where I drove him back to camp to get his drill bits so I could core out a long 54 mm motor and fly it - good up, lousy down.
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35
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March 21, 2007 - 11:23 PM
Andrew MacMillen
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36
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March 22, 2007 - 05:18 AM
Todd Moore
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I can't remember the first time I 'virtually' met Alex, but I think it was about 5 or 6 years ago on the Rocketry Online Chat room. There was a group of us who would hang out in there trading quips in between office work flurries each day. Alex struck me as a smart, sharp and witty individual with seriously strong opinions who wasn't afraid to espouse them. When I finally had a chance to meet 'real life' Alex several years later, his real world persona didn't disappoint. I walked up to the 'Team Numb' encampment at BALLS, and there was Alex, holding court - talking about this rocket construction technique, that piece of electronics, a motor chemical composition - answering questions of the bystanders as if he were a celebrity rocketeer, and we were his adoring fans. Which we were. This memory of Alex is quite an indelible one for me and I still grin to this day when thinking of it.
Woody Wood and myself had made plans to hang out with Alex one night at BALLS, and to share a few drinks. I think it was Saturday, about 10PM when we finally went down to his camp to meet up with him and share some time together.
When we got there, we were told by his entourage that he was already asleep for the night.;) Woody and I had a good time razzing him about that fact that Alex - the 'Player of the Playa' was out cold by 10PM at BALLS on Saturday night.. He took the ribbing in a well natured way, and promised that we'd have the chance to get together for that drink some later date.
Alex, I'm still looking forward to sharing that drink with you, man. I'll miss you.
Todd Moore.
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37
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March 22, 2007 - 09:47 AM
Rich Pitzeruse
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Like Todd, I met Alex online as part of the ROL chat gang. He was a funny guy to talk to. Alex and I always had a comical banter between us. One example can be found in this thread on N3 Forum....
http://newtons3rdrocketry.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=566
Unlike Todd, I never got to meet Alex in person. But I could tell his true personality showed through in our online conversations.
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38
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March 22, 2007 - 10:07 AM
SGII
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Job 14:14,15 "If an able-bodied man dies can he live again?
All the days of my compulsory service (time in the grave) I shall wait, until my relief comes.
You will call, and I myself shall answer you.
For the work of your hands you will have a yearning."
Daniel 12:2 "And there will be many of those asleep in the ground of dust who will wake up, these to indefinitely lasting life..."
John 5:28,29 "Do not marvel at this, because the hour is coming in which all those in the memorial tombs will hear his voice and come out..."
Alex is asleep now, but he will awaken to live again here on earth and to enjoy everlasting life under paradise like conditions.
The most important thing is that we are all there to greet him when he wakes up.
Take heart
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39
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March 22, 2007 - 10:20 AM
Greg Fannin
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I too am shocked that Alex is gone. I met him at XPRS a couple of times and remember him as a matter of fact, stand up guy who would tell it like it was.What I remember the most is when I flew orange crush at xprs in 05 it did a loop even though it was very stable according to rocksim .There was a large discussion on NW rockets with many theories but everyone was rebutted with Alex simply stating IT WAS UNSTABLE. Finally he got fed up and posted the same IT WAS UNSTABLE repeatedly about twenty times and Greg Deputy said "now look what you've done, you broke Alex". After much research I have come to the conclusion that Alex was right all along and you can't trust Rocksim.
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40
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March 22, 2007 - 12:33 PM
Stu Barrett
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What a shame. Alex was soooo cool. Just being around him made you feel that is was OK to be silly.
Alex, May the four winds blow you safely home.
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