Families Can Be Together Forever... Thank Heavens!

This weekend marked the 4th year since my brother was killed in a plane crash. Can I just say how glad I am for Temples and the ordinances performed there? Thanks, Heavenly Father, Jesus, and Joseph Smith - Heavenly Father for making the plan, Jesus for executing it, and Joseph Smith for being the instrument Jesus used to reestablish His Church on this earth. With every year I am more grateful for the blessing it is and the sacrifice it took to make this all possible for me.

I downloaded the newspaper article about the crash as well as his Obituary. No one needs to feel obligated to read them, I just need to archive them for my posterity.

Crashed pilot was Lancair sales worker
Wife says Redmond man loved flying and working for company
By Eric Flowers Published: August 17. 2005 4:00AM PST
An experimental aircraft that crashed in southeast Jefferson County on Monday night was carrying two Redmond men.
Darren Salka, 34, and Kevin Roberts, 25, were killed when their two-seat plane dropped from a clear evening sky just north of Highway 26 at the base of Grizzly Mountain.
A sales representative with Redmond-based Lancair International, Roberts was piloting the company-owned kit plane. The cause remains under investigation.
Witness Dennis Tribby said he heard the plane sputter as he was working with a horse in a corral next to his home on the Madras-Prineville Highway. Tribby said he and his wife looked up to see the plane spiraling earthward with its nose pointed to the ground.
"Once it started that, it looked like there was no controlling it," Tribby said. "Something failed...Something went wrong."
"Once it started that, it looked like there was no controlling it," Tribby said. "Something failed ... something went wrong."
After the plane disappeared over a small hill, Tribby and his wife heard a distinct thump of impact.
His wife ran inside immediately and dialed 911.
A short time later, Tribby joined the search for the plane and was the first to locate the wreckage, just south of a Bonneville Power substation on Ramms Road.
He found the plane's fuselage snapped nearly in half by the impact and Roberts and Salka still strapped into their seats.
"I didn't like what I seen," Tribby said. "I was hoping to find a couple of guys alive."
By Tuesday afternoon a Federal Aviation Administration investigator was combing through the wreckage with a pair of representatives from Lancair.
Pieces of plane were scattered around the crash site along with personal belongings. On the powder-dry ground, a black Motorola cellular phone sat near the right wing along with an empty Gatorade bottle.
Lancair General Manager Tim Ong said it appeared the plane dropped straight out of the air.
But neither Ong nor the FAA could say yet what might have caused the accident.
"This is going to be under investigation for quite a while because it's important we make a good determination," said Tim Moon, a Portland-based safety inspector with the FAA.
Unlike most aircraft, experimental and kit airplanes like the one Roberts was flying don't go through the same rigorous FAA certification process as commercial aircraft.
Instead, owners and pilots assume a greater degree of risk in exchange for the freedom to build and improvise designs. While Lancair offers to help assemble the plane, owners are free to put the planes together in their own garages.
National Transportation Safety Board records show that 20 people, including Roberts and Salka, have been killed in the United States flying experimental planes carrying the Lancair air logo since January 2004.
The plane that crashed Monday night, a single-engine Lancair Legacy, was an experimental plane built and owned by Lancair International.
The kit plane company is separate from Lancair USA, recently renamed Columbia Aircraft, which spun off the kit plane business in 2003.
Two men were killed in a similar plane owned by Lancair International in 2002 near Coeur d'Alene, Idaho. Ong said it is the only other plane crash involving a plane built and owned by the company.
In that case, the plane skidded off the runway and hit a group of trees.
An earlier crash killed two people, a pilot and passenger, when a Lancair commercial plane plunged into the Columbia River near the Portland Airport in 1999. The crash involved an airplane that is now part of Columbia Aircraft's commercial line and occurred before the sale of Lancair's kit division.
Roberts' wife, Lori, said her husband had been with Lancair for about one year, working his way up from a mechanic.
"He loved airplanes with everything he had," Lori Roberts said. "It was definitely his passion."
Roberts said her husband flew two or three times a week in the company plane for recreation and to build up his flight hours. It was not uncommon for Roberts to bring his 5-year-old son along on the flights.
On Monday he brought along his friend Salka, a teacher in the Prineville School District. Lori Roberts said it was Salka's first time in the plane with her husband.
Salka's wife declined a request to be interviewed.
On Tuesday morning, Lori Roberts said, she told her son about the crash. She hadn't yet told their 2-year-old daughter.
The couple, who met at Ricks College in Idaho, were married six years. They moved from the Denver area to Redmond after Kevin landed a job at Lancair, a company that he held in high regard.
"He always heard they were the best to work for," Lori Roberts said.
Many of Kevin Roberts' co-workers at the company, which has about 70 employees, got the news Tuesday morning.
"There were lots of tears and sympathy going out to his family and a big sense of loss of a great person. Not just for Lancair, but in general. He was a guy who took time for everyone - a great individual," said Peter Grube, a co-worker who had an office next to Roberts and shared a room with him on the road.
Grube said Roberts had a manner that endeared him to people quickly and earned him promotions at Lancair.
When Grube arrived at the company recently, Roberts took time to help him understand the planes and the company. There was no question about Lancair or the aircraft that Roberts didn't know, Grube said.
"I could sense from him this pride and enthusiasm just to work for Lancair," Grube said.
On the road, they swapped stories about their young children, Grube said.
Roberts, who had grown up on an onion farm in Weiser, Idaho, wanted to become a commercial pilot one day.
"He was very proud of (the family farm) but it wasn't for him," Grube said. "Aviation was his way out." He loved his family. He loved flying. He was a great man.

Kevin Dale Roberts
Published: August 19. 2005 4:00AM PST
Dec. 23, 1979 - Aug. 15, 2005
Kevin Dale Roberts of Redmond died Monday in a plane accident. He was 25.
A visitation will be held from 6 to 8 p.m. today at the Redmond Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. A funeral service will be held at 10 a.m. Saturday at the Redmond LDS church. Another funeral service will be held at 11 a.m. Monday at the Weiser LDS church. A graveside service will follow at Hillcrest Cemetery in Weiser, Idaho.
Mr. Roberts was born Dec. 23, 1979, in Weiser to Brad and Lyla Roberts. He graduated from Weiser High School in 1998, and attended Ricks College and Idaho State University in Pocatello. He married Lori Bruzewski on Sept. 11, 1999, in Rockland, Idaho.
Mr. Roberts worked as an aircraft salesman. He was a member of the LDS church. He enjoyed aviation, model airplanes, skiing, sports and family activities.
Survivors include his wife; a son, Nathan; a daughter, Kailee; his parents; four brothers, Sam, Bryan, Matthew and Stephen; two sisters, Rhonda Bodily and Heather Rhinehart; and two grandparents, Luther and Enid.
He was preceded in death by two grandparents.
Niswonger-Reynolds Funeral Home, Redmond Chapel, is in charge of arrangements.

My sister, Rhonda, and I gave his life sketch:

Kevin Dale Roberts

Kevin Dale Roberts was born to Brad and Lyla Roberts on December 23, 1979 in Weiser, Idaho. All of us children remember this vividly because Christmas was postponed that year. It didn't take long for the Fisher Price Record player to get old, but Kevin just got to be more fun the longer we had him.

He joined a family who already had 5 children: Rhonda, Heather, Sam, Bryan, and Matthew. His brother, Stephen, soon followed. Since Kevin was our fourth brother and we had no little sisters, we took it upon ourselves to not only dress him up like the little girl we so longed for, but we also took photos!

From the beginning, Kevin had his share of hair-raising adventures and close calls. He had a nasty habit of twisting off the changing table no matter how careful we were to keep a hand on him. Before he could even walk by himself he took a trip to the top of the stairs in his walker and vaulted himself to the bottom knocking all of his air out and turning him a frightening shade of blue. He got curious about what was on the kitchen counter and ended up pulling a mug of hot water over onto his shoulders and hand. Later he stuck his head between the very heavy chipboard sections of the ping pong table when it was folded up for storage, and then the table fell. Somehow half of it fell on an ugly pink chair we had in the basement and stopped it with both sides of the table touching Kevin's neck. For weeks after that Matt would make Kevin kiss the chair whenever he walked by it. Another time Sam was coming home from work and saw the four-wheeler out in the middle of our big lawn and felt like he should go investigate even though it looked abandoned. When he got there he found Kevin trapped, cold, scared and very glad to see Sam! We knew Heavenly Father had a plan for Kevin because he spared his life multiple times before he was even ten!

When Kevin started school he enjoyed learning and making friends. He was very sensitive and often surprised his family with his kindness.

Our mom Lyla, related a story about Kevin that shows what kind of young man he was. Kevin had told Mom that he wasn't feeling well enough to go to school. Mom had to substitute at the school that day, and everyone else was headed for school, too. Kevin was left alone in the house and soon became bored out of his mind. Staying home just wasn't as fun since no one was there to fuss over him. He ended up cleaning the house, even mopping the kitchen floor! When Mom got home, she said she had to look twice before she realized that she was in the right house!

None of us were immune to his charm. He had a soft heart and was always willing to reach out to others and make them feel safe and loved. He didn't discriminate like many between the Seniors and Freshman or the boys and girls or the cute and different, he was drawn to people with personality and they were drawn to him.

Stephen, had a friend named Russel, a few years younger than Kevin was, who had this to say about him:

I have many memories of playing football with Kevin and those times are unforgettable. Even when things stunk at practice and Murphy was all ticked off Kevin seemed light-hearted and was still making jokes. He would always take it easy on us underclassmen even though he was quite a bit bigger. Kevin would also take the time to help us out, make us better.

Kevin loved to ski: waterski, snowski, jetski, he didn't care. He often attempted to do things that were above his skill level, but once again, he was protected from serious harm and ended up able to laugh off his bumps and bruises, and talk about his high adventures.

Kevin cared a lot about his family. His brother Stephen had this to say about him:

He was a lovable guy, who made time for everyone. He had a way with words, which was a good thing because he loved to talk. He was friends with the young and old. He was known to call friends weekly to see how they were doing, how their health was holding up etc. Whenever he talked he spoke highly of his wife and kids, his brothers and sisters his mom and dad and grandparents. Those who took time to get to know him will never be the same, because he had a way of making people feel better about themselves. He was a hugger, the way he would hold you made you feel right at home. I remember when I left on my mission he pulled me aside and said think of me while you are out there and how much I wish I could be with you. I wore the tie he gave me every day until it got too worn out. He never ended a conversation without saying that he loved me. Everywhere he went he left loved ones behind, everyone loved him, and he loved everyone. He always made sure his family's needs were taken care of.


After graduating from Weiser High School in 1998, Kevin headed off to Ricks College where he met his awesome wife, Lori. They dated for about a year, and one of their most memorable dates was when they went jet skiing. They were riding double on a jet ski and they hit a huge wave. Lori's chin slammed into the back of Kevin's head and they were both knocked unconscious. When Lori regained consciousness, she saw Kevin slumped over with his face in the water. Despite having broken her leg, she was able to drag him up and keep him from drowning until help arrived!

They were married on September 11, 1999. I remember the first time I met Lori. I knew that she would be good for Kevin and everyone around them could see how much they loved each other. They fit together. They complimented each other. They made each other better.

At the beginning of their marriage, Kevin worked for Mike and Gloria Sorenson on a ranch out at Green Canyon for a while. He grew to love them and Kevin became kind of like their own son. While they were there Kevin and Lori were blessed with a son of their own named Nathan James on March 19, 2000. He brought a special spirit into their home and with his arrival they became a family. Kevin, Lori, and Nathan were sealed together in the Boise Temple on October 14, 2000.

He decided to attend Aviation Mechanic School through ISU, working at Wal-mart to support himself and his family for two or three years. It was at this time that he decided he wanted to be a pilot. He worked very hard and got his license in 2002. A daughter, Kailee Louise, was born on March 6, 2003. Shortly after her birth, Kevin and Lori moved to Colorado where Kevin attended Jefco Aviation School. While there, he continued to work at Wal-mart. A year later, he got a job at Lancair as a mechanic and worked his way up to salesman, adding many more friends to his list.

Lori described Kevin as a "major family man", saying that he would rather be with his family than anywhere else, including flying, which came in a close second!

Kevin will be missed by many, but we can find comfort in the words of Elder Russel M. Nelson in his most recent conference talk.

"If we are well prepared, death brings no terror. From an eternal perspective, death is premature only for those who are not prepared to meet God.

For sorrowing loved ones left behind the sting of death is soothed by a steadfast faith in Christ, a perfect brightness of hope, a love of God and of all men, and a deep desire to serve them. That faith, that hope, that love will qualify us to come into God's holy presence and, with our eternal companions and families, dwell with Him forever."

After I got the phone call on Tuesday morning the words in a Christmas song came to my mind "God is not dead nor doth he sleep." It will be hard to not have Kevin where we can hug him, or hear his voice and contagious laugh, but his spirit is not dead nor doth it sleep. He is the same Kevin, except now he is even more perfect. He is with the Savior doing the work in a way that only Kevin can. We can't wait to see him again, and knowing that we will is what will get us through.