clint 1 #26 October 9, 2009 FRENCHY! He and my grandfather were great buds at the campfire in Z Hills and then in Lake Wales. He was very good to me, a 17yr old punk ass kid that would mess with him all the time! He loved it and hated it at the same time. I remember when I burnt down my trailer... well, it was my grandfather's, but Frenchy's trailer was right next to it. It was close to burning his down too, he was mad, but none of his 10000000 t shirts got burnt. I do remember the gold shovel, I remember him chasing that guy, I was there! I spent 3 years with him at Lake Wales and Frenchy was one of the main reasons people stayed out too late, listening to him ramble about who knows what! I remember Mike X doing that jump too!! Miss YOUR fireplace and I'm sure you and grampi are arguing about who gets the lady angels tonight! FLY high and Swoop Low! Clint MacBeth Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
muff528 3 #27 October 9, 2009 QuoteFRENCHY! He and my grandfather were great buds at the campfire in Z Hills and then in Lake Wales. He was very good to me, a 17yr old punk ass kid that would mess with him all the time! He loved it and hated it at the same time. I remember when I burnt down my trailer... well, it was my grandfather's, but Frenchy's trailer was right next to it. It was close to burning his down too, he was mad, but none of his 10000000 t shirts got burnt. I do remember the gold shovel, I remember him chasing that guy, I was there! I spent 3 years with him at Lake Wales and Frenchy was one of the main reasons people stayed out too late, listening to him ramble about who knows what! I remember Mike X doing that jump too!! Miss YOUR fireplace and I'm sure you and grampi are arguing about who gets the lady angels tonight! FLY high and Swoop Low! Clint MacBeth Clint, Here's your grandfather surrounded by a few of his. I think it was his b'day. Maybe he'll share with Frenchy. (your dad's in there too.) Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
happythoughts 0 #28 October 9, 2009 Frenchy with his wheelbarrow at Zhills, going to gather wood. He was around 70 and would cut wood with an ax. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Capt36 6 #29 October 10, 2009 >I remember giving him lifts to the laundromat and he would only let you turn right... haha! Thanks for another funny memory! I gave him laundry rides... I had forgotten about the many 'quirks' of Frenchy...Practice random acts of kindness, and senseless beauty... And, give money for Mr Douglas! www.mrdouglas.org Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
doog 0 #30 October 10, 2009 I met Frenchy during my first trip to Z_hills in '93. I later spent quite a bit of fireside time with him in Lake wales up until the hurricane. I will always remember one thing he told me after we sat watching a sunset load land off DZ.."the best way to have anything to do with a sunset load is to observe it from fire with a beer". I have made that my number two rule in skydiving (right after don't die!). I always liked to be done for the day, grab a couple of line violation or firsts beer from the happy face at Lake Wales and take one over to Frenchy as he lit the fire. There to watch the sunset load and listen to him fill me in on who pissed him off that day. I gotta get my non-digital photos of him scanned so I can share them. Doog Muff 846DOOG Muff 846 All you people are here to make sure I have a good time. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Gkung 0 #31 October 15, 2009 I'm the lodge manager at the facility next door to where he lived in Crossfield. I am amazed at how many friends he had all around the world. The reason I am writing is because one of his neighbors was concerned about him and asked me to check on him. I dno't know if many of you know the circumstances surrounding his passing but I want to let you all know that he passed peacefully in his sleep shortly after returning from a trip to Reno which we later discovered it was for a skydiving convention. We have been able to share the youtube footage with staff and residents at the seniors facility. It gives some people closure to his unexpected passing. Thank you to Mike X for doing that! The threads that I have read on this forum give me peace to know that he was loved and respected by many. I read of these stories of Frenchy and his quirks and fires and I laugh and only wish I could have known more about him when he was here. None of us really ever knew why a 80 year old would go to Florida or Reno. Now we know that is where his heart was, his friends and his family!!! Thank you for sharing your memories of Frenchy with all of us. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
skypuppy 1 #32 October 17, 2009 I have many fond memories of Frenchie. One year during the Xmas boogie, we turned a garbage pail upside down over a keg of beer sitting off to the side of the bonfire. After the rest of the beer was done, everyone went in to town to eat, about 5 or 6 of us stayed to finish the keg before the rest came back from town. The earth is a smaller place without him....If some old guy can do it then obviously it can't be very extreme. Otherwise he'd already be dead. Bruce McConkey 'I thought we were gonna die, and I couldn't think of anyone Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
crustySCSA69 0 #33 October 31, 2009 Quote ......... I never saw anyone jump with Frenchy. At our boogie he always went out alone. ......... Someone said that Frenchy was a paratrooper in WWII. Is that true? ......... merde ! merde ! MERDE! hard to believe he is gone. A lot of posts mention the 80s. Frenchy was there at Z-Hills in 76 and up till I left in 80. We both lived in the loft (old Z-hills). Around 78-79 I said "Frenchy, I know you have done RW but have you ever actually pinned anyone ?" and he said "No, merde, I no like anyway, they make me sometimes, they just fly to me" So I said you old derelict, you are going to pin me. We go up, I sit there and he flails around, close but not closing last 10 feet. On the ground, I said, "Frenchy, you're not straightening your legs" and made him lie on a table and push his legs down against my hands, while holding his shins up... I said, see, the air pressure makes you think they are straight, you have to really push .. Frenchy goes "Merde ! Merde!" I have to go in town (I work at DZ and duty calls) .. I come back and Dave Cooper (Welsh slime bastard.. if he is reading) has grabbed Frenchy, gone up and Frenchy has pinned HIM !!!!! I am royally pissed... next day I MAKE Frenchy pin me (Frenchy is going "Merde ! I do this once. Why do I need to do again ??") I said " Shut up you derelict bastard.. you WILL pin me!!" and he does..... I was on the 1st 64 way in Perris around 80-81 BUT my most memorable jump ever, one I can see in my head anytime I want was a simple 3 way. When I made Frenchy pin me, an old derelict named Carl Beck (one eye, not many teeth, huge facial scars beneath the big scraggly beard... and half crippled to boot) asked if he could come third. I say, Carl, I would be honoured, just wait till Frenchy pins, and he did. So I am in a 3 way with 2 grinning old derelicts, Frenchy, whose 5th jump was the Free French airborne invasion of Southern France in early 1945 and Carl Beck, whose 6th jump was Normandy and whose 8th jump was Arnhem (a Bridge too far) where he got a face full of mortar ... hence his good looks ... I am in AWE... total flat out AWE to be in the air with history ... I still get shivers ... Frenchy, I hope you are flying endless RW with Carl and save a slot for me you old Derelict. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Fiete 0 #34 November 1, 2009 Remember the time when he defended the south field from trespassing. BSBD Peace Muff 361 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
martine1 0 #35 November 5, 2009 I am the niece of Robert from France, and her goddaughter, Martine. I wanted to inform you that now the ashes of Robert joined his brother Yves died in 1968 at Normandin Province of Quebec. The ceremony took place October 31, 2009 in the presence of my son Thomas, who lives in Quebec. We will also be a religious ceremony in France, where any remaining family. We are very touched by all the messages of sympathy for him, and thank you You can order without also contact us I also looking for a friend he had in London and one in PARIS, but I do not know the names. If someone know thank you for contacting me. thank you. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Jim_Hooper 4 #36 November 10, 2009 Jack Gregory gave me a heads-up on this thread, and I'm moved to read all the tributes to Frenchy. He showed up at the old-old Zhills in the mid-70s and quickly appropriated a space under the packing shed, which he reclaimed every winter. Two or three winters later, his ratty main and reserve were stolen. He was in tears at the prospect of not being able to jump. Dan Landis, Mitch Decoteau and Paul Juel secretly took up a collection and bought a second-hand Racer, with a fairly docile square, and presented it to him on the DZ. Frenchy was left (almost) speechless and worked very hard to stay in character: the first word out of his mouth was Merde! He may even have bought a case of beer, though it could well have been the stash he purloined and kept hidden. Frenchy was never much impressed with change; if his original set of gear hadn't been stolen, he might have continued jumping it for another ten years. When I had 40T painted with rainbow stripes, he grumbled at me that "Merde! Eet iz lak old woman with too much makeup!" Moving the center off the airport for the '81 World Meet caused more grumbles and complaints, though he admitted it was easier to find wood for the nightly campfires. One of my favorite stories about the irrascible Frenchman was his finding a wallet that had been lost by a jumper from up north on a no-suiter load. (Remember how he'd scour the DZ and surroundings every morning, looking for lost ripcords?) Inside was $900. I called the guy, who confirmed that the amount was correct, and then asked me to give Frenchy $300 and mail the balance to him, which I thought was a class act. When I sold the center, I insisted on a clause in the contract that Frenchy was guaranteed a roof and bed whenever he came down for the winter. What would the evenings have been like without his fires? He visited me in England about three years ago, after visiting his family in France. We reminisced about those wonderful times and he admitted his heart was still at the original center. When I delivered him to the bus station, he promised to be back in a couple of years. In fact, a letter at the beginning of 2009 stated he had every intention of keeping that promise. The care center where he was staying gave me his telephone number and I called a few times, which always seemed to surprise him Damn, I miss him. Hoop Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Jumphopper 0 #37 December 14, 2009 I have a few pictures of "Frenchy" I like to show. If you can translate the following to english, please send me a copy since I don,t speak france. Thank you. [email protected] Bonjour Il est décédé le 29 septembre 2009. Ses cendres , nous avons souhaité avec mes 2 soeurs, donc ses 3 nièces, qu'elles soient déposés avec celle de son frère à Normandin au QUEBEC . La cérémonie a eu lieu le 31 octobre , mon fils Thomas,(33 ans) vit également au QUEBEC et oui, la relève va probablement être assurée, nous a représenté à cette cérémonie, je vous joins quelques photos. Ce matin nous avons fait une cérémonie religieuse à ST MAXIRE , où nous avons beaucoup d'attache. Je vous joins des photos de la cérémonie du QUEBEC à NORMANDIN. Mon fils porte le blouson de Tonton ROBERT Les autres personnes, sont des amis de NORMANDIN qui connaissait Robert et son Frère Yves. Merci de me dire qui vous êtes, ?? et de quelle région de FRANCE Amicalement Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
danornan 79 #38 December 14, 2009 Thanks for sharing the pictures ..... He was a man of tenacity who really added color to the sport. When I think of the old Z-Hills, I think of Frenchy.Dano Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
SunbumPaul 0 #39 August 14, 2010 Frenchy's photos from his Z-Hill's years, can be found on my Face Book page. His photos are of many people that passed through the Z-Hill's dropzone, from 1976 until he left. Paul Juel Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
SunbumPaul 0 #40 August 19, 2010 Try this link, to go directly to my page, where you will be able to find Frenchy's Albums, along with my photo albums. I hope this works. http://www.facebook.com/?ref=home#!/profile.php?id=1316702265 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
doog 0 #41 August 19, 2010 Hi. Link worked but no access to the photos (only shared with cetain people?) Facebook is way to complex for me.DOOG Muff 846 All you people are here to make sure I have a good time. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
SunbumPaul 0 #42 August 21, 2010 The photos should be available to everyone. I'll check the Face Book settings, again. I have trouble using Face Book at time, too. Thanks for letting me know. Paul PS. Crusty was able to get to the photos and make comments. Hmmmm. Still, I'll check the settings. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
SunbumPaul 0 #43 August 21, 2010 Somehow, the settings were changed to "Friends only". It has now been changed back to "Everyone". I hope that works. If not, let me know, again. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
