Our Friend Barry

[Tim Ponsot]

Salutem All-

I have some news to share with you tonight from a post on Facebook. This information is per his wife, Kyle.

Barry Alexander Louis Johan baron vanWickevoort Crommelin (1959-2022) died on Wednesday, December 7, 2022. Born: Leiden, The Nederland
Died: Hoffman Estates, Illinois.

Is with a heavy heart that I tell you Barry died on Wednesday, December 7, 2022 He opened me up to worlds I never would ever have thought existed. He was my lover, friend and soulmate❤️
More details to come.

I can say from my own experiences with him that he was a mentor all too generous with his time and his knowledge. I’d not have had as many opportunities to fly at the field if it wasn’t for him giving me a ride out there after school.

I picked up a passion for gunsmithing thanks to his encouraging me to tinker and restore historical small arms. The last time I saw him, we were test firing a pistol I restored from 1903 and talking about the fabled “next project”. Thanks to him there will always be a next project.

He encouraged me to continue my studies in Grad school from his own time as a physicist. He helped shape my career into what it is today.

Years ago Barry was quite an active tow pilot and instructor, and we all owe him in some way for making the club what it is today.

He was blessed with a razor sharp wit with a penchant for making jokes of absurd situations. Playful sarcasm was considered by many to be his mother tongue. To that end, I’ll close my statement with one of Barry’s favorite songs, representing one of his personal philosophies, “Luctor et Emergo”.

 

Tim

 

 

[Steven Snyder]

Tim;

Thank you for sharing.

Steve

From: SSI <webmaster@skysoaring.com>
Sent: Monday, December 12, 2022 6:58 PM
To: Smsrsnyder@comcast.net
Subject: Our Friend Barry, By Tim Ponsot, [Sky Soaring]

[Mark Reich]

Thank you, Tim

[Dennis Burke]

Very sorry to hear of Barry’s passing.  I cannot say that I had the great experiences mentioned, especially of his criticism on field of my towing duties while i was using our older C182. Maybe I took the natural sarcasm in the wrong light, but an air of superiority surfaced.

[ANDRZEJ CHICEWICZ]

On Monday, December 12, 2022 at 06:58:35 PM CST, SSI <webmaster@skysoaring.com> wrote:

Attachments:

• 

[John Scott]

Really

John M. Scott

[Don Grillo]

I’m so sorry to hear about Barry’s passing. I didn’t know he had
been ill. I first met Barry while working at American Airlines. We
met many years ago on a bus going from DFW airport to American
Airlines Flight Academy.  We talked about flying for AA and also
glider flying. Over the years we had a number of conversations
about all sorts of different topics mostly about soaring. I’m sure
he was inspirational in getting me back into soaring in 2014. I
will miss him. 

It appears Barry has two sisters, Tessa and Xenia. The Crommelin
name dates back to the 1100’s. 

Don

______________________________

DONALD PHILIP HENRIK15 VAN WICKEVOORT CROMMELIN (NICOLAAS
LODEWIJK JOH14, HENRICK SAMUEL MAX.13, AARNOUT12, HENRI SAMUEL11,
JAN-PIETER10, HENDRIK SAMUEL9, JEAN8, HENRY SAMUEL7 CROMMELIN,
SAMUEL6, PIERRE5, JEAN4 CROMMELINCK, ARMAND PIERREZN3, PIERRE2,
JEAN1 CROMMELIN) was born 11 Sep 1928 in Bindjei, Sumatra, Dutch
East Indies.  He married LENA KRAAN 04 Nov 1954 in The Hague, The
Netherlands, daughter of JOHANNES KRAAN and LOUISA PIJPERS.  She
was born 31 Dec 1927 in The Hague, The Netherlands.

Children of DONALD VAN WICKEVOORT CROMMELIN and LENA KRAAN are:
      
 i.   BARRY ALEXANDER L. J.16 VAN WICKEVOORT CROMMELIN, b.
       03 Sep 1959, Leiden, The Netherlands; m. KYLE LESLIE
       LUCAS, 16 Apr 1982, Chicago, Ill. USA; b. 20 Sep 1960,
       Chicago, Ill. USA.
       
ii.  TESSA NICOLINE L. C. VAN WICKEVOORT CROMMELIN, b. 14
       Mar 1962, Leiden, The Netherlands.
       
iii. XENIA LUDMILLA D. H. VAN WICKEVOORT CROMMELIN, b. 04
       Mar 1963, Leiden, The Netherlands.

-- 
Don

[John Osborn]

I am very sorry to hear of Barry’s passing. I always enjoyed hearing his aviation stories and soaring adventures. He was a great guy and will be sorely missed.John Osborn

On Monday, December 12, 2022 at 06:58:33 PM CST, SSI <webmaster@skysoaring.com> wrote:

[Anonymous]

thanks for forwarding this tim I completely missed the fact that it was barry I thought it was one of the other dutch guys
I`m with you====he was a good guy, way ahead of us initially on the winch I sent a message to kyle, hoping she uses his old

email address yet do you have a current one for her thanks again jim

—–Original Message—–
From: SSI <webmaster@skysoaring.com>
To: skogjim@aol.com
Sent: Mon, Dec 12, 2022 6:58 pm
Subject: Our Friend Barry, By Tim Ponsot, [Sky Soaring]

[John DeRosa]

Tim – Thanks for your recollections of Berry. He was unique.

Barry’s wake will be this coming Sunday 12/18 from 11AM-1PM at Smith-Corcoran Funeral Home, 185 E. Northwest Highway, Palatine.

The name “Corcoran” rang a bell with me as someone who was associated with the early history of gliding in the United states. Sure enough the name I was thinking of was Stanley Corcoran who
back in the 30’s and 40’s designed and build gliders at the Frankford Sailplane
Company (Frankford MI and Joliet IL) – the Cinema glider (http://www.retroplane.net/cinema2/accueil.htm) and the famous TG-1A (https://airandspace.si.edu/collection-objects/frankfort-tg-1a-cinema/nasm_A19830113000) used for training
pilots in WWII before flying the bigger troop carrying gliders. See some pictures here > https://mrbill2.smugmug.com/Airplanes/Gliders/i-rBNFjzW/A

The
early history of gliding is something that Barry was VERY interested
in. He was an active member of the Vintage Sailplane Association (https://www.vintagesailplane.org/)
and owned two old ships he was proud of – a Grunau Baby and a
Schleicher KA-6 – not to mention owning an ASW-27A (not the B model –
too newfangled) and an ASW-26E.

So
it seems only fitting that Barry’s wake will be held in a place bearing
the name of a key player in early glider aviation. I
have to wonder if that is a coincidence … or is this some of Barry’s
off beat humor.

As Barry might say … Salutem,

John H DeRosa
President, Sky Soaring

===========================

On Monday, December 12, 2022 at 06:58:42 PM CST, SSI <webmaster@skysoaring.com> wrote:

[John DeRosa]

All,Barry’s
wife has let us know that a public remembrance event for Barry, which
we will all be invited to attend, will be held after the holidays.
Watch for an update email at that time.

Thanks.

John H DeRosa

====================

On Tuesday, December 13, 2022 at 08:21:26 PM CST, SSI <webmaster@skysoaring.com> wrote:

[Author]

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