Quin R. Stone
Pilot‚ Krassel Heli-RappellarsDied: August 13‚ 2006
Age: 42

Quin grew up in California‚ New York‚ St. Pierre Island‚ Belgium and Zimbabwe with his brother‚ Greg‚ where his parents were training and working as medical missionaries. His early school years were taught in French and Shona.

Quin joined the Sun Valley Ski Education Foundation‚ Jr. Nordic Ski Team leading to years of wonderful camaraderie and lifelong loyalties. He had successes in cycling and Triathlons. He shot rockets into the air‚ built and flew radio controlled aircraft and boats and became an expert kayaker. His many interests made him an avid reader.

Quin attended Western State College in Gunnison‚ Colorado on a cross-country scholarship. In 1989 he earned a B.A. in Business with a Minor in History. College brought a large number of perennial loyal friends into his widening circle. In 1990‚ in a XCountry ski race he won an air ticket to Europe and bicycle camped from Portugal to Turkey. He earned his helicopter license in Concord‚ CA in 1991.

He was passionate about flying. He accumulated more than 4500 hours as a pilot including work as a flight instructor‚ in helicopter logging operations and in wildlife game surveys. He flew aerial tours of glaciers in Alaska‚ of Volcanos in Hawaii and of the Grand Canyon in Arizona. He flew for aerial photography work for movies and for television news reporting. He flew transport of personnel and equipment for seismic studies‚ for offshore petroleum platforms and for interagency wildfire control and suppression. Quin started with Evergreen Aviation in May 2005 as a pilot with the Forest Service Krassel Heli-Rappellars returning for the 2006 fire season at their request. A bond had developed. Immediately after the 2005 season he was seconded to FEMA in the Katrina rescue and cleanup.

Although he was never married Quin enjoyed the patient love of his girlfriend Kris. He loved and lived with her and her son Braxon for seven years until 2003. He left a bouncing bereft Jack Russell Terrier named Riley that misses her Alpha.

Quin was a complex man with a deep sense of justice or injustice‚ loyalty‚ quiet intelligence‚ a startling dry sense of humor with the one liner (or ‘one worder’ or ‘the look’). His friends learned the special alertness required in speaking Quinese. He almost never talked about himself. It was only after his death that we got so many more stories of his effect on others lives. We’ll all miss that out of the blue call‚ ‘Hi‚ it’s me‚ Quin.’ Life was a dare and he made it fun. Quin‚ you did well. Fly Free.