Roy Coniglio has written books, designed planes, played percussion for The Supremes, and helped engineer very small things that save lives every day. Many people know him as being fierce and obnoxious, while others see him as being intelligent, funny, and kind. Thankfully, I am one of the latter. Roy is someone who I envy greatly. I admire what he has done in his life and if I could be like one person, I would want to be like him.

The day I met Roy, he asked me if I was named after the character Wesley on Star Trek. He was one of two people who I can ever remember asking me this. I replied telling him that my mom was a huge Star Trek fan and that my two sisters and I were all named for characters from the show even though none of us liked it. He continued the conversation with sarcastic comments and witty remarks which all appealed to my sense of humor. Normally, I am a shy person and never say much. Around Roy, I can never say enough. I can talk to him for hours without running out of things to say.

I met Roy a year ago at a radio controlled model airplane club meeting. He was about 45 years old and stood slightly shorter than me with glasses, a slightly balding head, and his weight at about 140 pounds. I wanted to learn how to fly and he invited me to the flying field that weekend so he could teach me. Within four weeks, I had set the record for the fastest time to get my license thanks to him and another man named Larry. The week after I got my license, I had my first crash. The plane was in pieces and I thought it was going to end up in the garbage. Roy was at the field with me and told me that it could be repaired. He invited me over to his house to fix my plane and that week, and I went. I remember watching in amazement as he took balsa wood from a box and turned it into a plane again using only a bottle of glue and his two hands. I was extremely thankful for his help, but I was even more thankful for meeting such a great person. I remember being at his house for about three hours and we talked the whole time as he fixed my plane. During our conversations, I found out that he was an engineer and designer. I was never really sure what I wanted to be before that day, but I knew exactly what I wanted to be after it. I wanted to be an aeronautical engineer and design planes like he has done.

Another incident that I recall is the day when I had a new plane with me and I couldn’t get the motor started. Roy and I spent seven hours at the flying field trying to get it started but wound up with nothing at the end of the day. When my mom came to pick me up, Roy told me that I should send it back to the company for repair. As I was packing up, I took out my log book and said “Let me log my flight hours for today.” Roy and my mom looked up at me from their conversation as I snapped the book closed and enthusiastically said “Okay, I’m ready to go now”. They both laughed as Roy said “He’s so cynical, I knew there was a reason I liked this kid.” This moment stands out in my mind because following a day of endless frustration together with hundreds of sarcastic comments from both of us, I realized that he also appreciated my sense of humor. No one else had ever understood my humor before him.

I am thankful to meet such an amazing person. Roy has had a huge influence on my life in many ways. Because of him, I know what I want to do and how I want to spend my life. Even on bad days, we always wind up laughing. I love to talk to him and I am very appreciative of his company. Flying is so much more enjoyable when he is at the field and I always look forward to seeing him again.