By Paul T. Glessner, EAA 1270226
John Fonville, EAA 36758, attended EAA’s annual fly-in and convention religiously for some 30 years until his sudden death in April 2013. A symbolic portion of his ashes were laid to rest on EAA’s Homebuilt area’s main lawn on Wednesday, July 28, by his son, Neil, EAA 1366639, in front of friends and family. John’s father, Neil’s grandfather, was a jeweler and bought a television back in 1958 at a jewelry convention. There was an issue in getting the TV so John’s father took a Luscombe in trade and both John and his father learned to fly. Neil learned to fly in 1980 and currently owns a 1992 Mooney Bravo based in McKinney, Texas.
Unfortunately, and in hindsight, Neil never came to Oshkosh with his father due to life’s commitments. Neil and his son, James, made a pact to attend AirVenture to celebrate John and connect with newfound friends who knew him.
From L to R: James Fonville (grandson), Neil Fonville (son), Woody Menear, Keith Phillips, Marty Abbott, Tuck McAtee, Chad Coldberg, Jim Cianci, and Paul T. Glessner