Losing a friend and role model

I've had better weeks. With the 4th of July approaching, a long weekend of time with my family to look forward to, I was in great spirits. But when I learned of my client and friend's disappearance on July 2 during a routine flight in his experimental aircraft, my spirit sank, and thus ensued a 2 day roller coaster of searching, hopeful feedback, random pieces of information, and devastation. My friend Clay Beck tragically is gone, and our community is a lesser one because of it. He shaped the lives of many, from the athletes he coached, to his wife he fell in love with in a heartbeat, to the old generation of skiers who longed for the days of longboards and leather straps. An avid pilot, Clay had that undeniable pull to the skies, and enjoyed talking about it with anyone who shared the passion of flight. I was lucky enough to enjoy a birthday flight last fall with him in the same aircraft that crashed last wednesday, and I will tell you, it will stand out in my collection of memories as one of the most thrilling hours of my life. My heart breaks for Clay's family, his wife Lisa, and their two young sons...may his children hold firm in their heart their father's stories and memories, and through them, come to know their father as the spectacularly kind, giving, loving and magnetic individual that so rarely comes into our world.