RIP Tim

Falcon 16
Engineered to Fly
Terror of the Sky
Best Damn Outfit on the Campus

I've come back to this thread many times over the past few days. The thoughts, comments and especially the photograph on page 1 are just as powerful now as they were in 1999.

My sincerest thanks to the Kerlee family and all of the dedicated Aggies who keep the memory of the 1999 Bonfire alive.

Gig 'Em!

I apologize that it took so long to happen this year, but I just talked to the fish some. They greatly enjoyed being able to spend the night with y'all and of course the excellent grub instead of Duncan.

I'll make sure that happens much much earlier next year.

They are a fine group and we enjoyed having them. Tim would have been pleased.

Got an E-mail today from a young lady who went to high school with Tim. She and a co-worker we're watching an A&M game and the friend mentioned she had lost a friend in the Bonfire tragedy, when she mentioned so had she while she was at A&M of course it was Tim! They both knew this story And what a fine young man Tim was.
It is a small world and he is still touching lives nearly 17 years later.

TTT

Just watched the 20/20 on bonfire. I've heard the stories about Tim, but listening to his mother on this show breaks my heart. Your son is smiling down on you ma'am. The world lost an angel the day Tim died.

Just finished watching the special myself, which of course took my mind wandering back to this page, and this thread in particular. And having flipped thru all 35 pages, realizing that not once, after almost 16 years on TA, have I bothered to comment.......I would be remiss if I didn't.......

Mr and Mrs Kerlee........I think I speak for the entire 12th Man when I tell you how proud we are to have had your son as one of us, and how pleased we are to continue to have you two as part of the family. I don't think it's a stretch at all to say that Tim will be the eternal embodiment of the Spirit of Aggieland. I watch something like that tonight, and it's amazing, the emotion that the events of that night still bring out in this cynical, grizzled old coot.......know that he and all of the 12 will never be far from Aggie hearts and minds. Fly high, young man.

Shortly after the bonfire disaster, I sent a donation for a fund that Mr and Mrs Kerlee had set up in the name of their son Tim (my son had been a member of Tim's outfit). They sent me a very nice card thanking me for my small contribution. I thought that it was very special. I still have it.

I haven't been on here in many years (so many that I couldn't locate my old login password so I had to create a new profile, since I'm sure I don't have the same email after all these years to get a new password just sent to me)!

I wasn't able to watch the show Saturday night but I was able to watch it Sunday afternoon and I was very impressed with the format and quality of the content. I am proud that my StepMother, Janice Kerlee was able to be interviewed for the show.

I miss Tim every day and often wonder what he would be doing now, who his wife would be, how many nieces and nephews I would have....but it wasn't to be. God had plans for him on November 19, 1999; plans I won't know until we meet again.

I'm just so proud that Tim touched so many lives during his short time at Texas A&M and the fact that he continues to touch so many lives is just a testament to his legacy.....

God Bless!

dixichkn said:

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Just finished watching the special myself, which of course took my mind wandering back to this page, and this thread in particular. And having flipped thru all 35 pages, realizing that not once, after almost 16 years on TA, have I bothered to comment.......I would be remiss if I didn't.......

Mr and Mrs Kerlee........I think I speak for the entire 12th Man when I tell you how proud we are to have had your son as one of us, and how pleased we are to continue to have you two as part of the family. I don't think it's a stretch at all to say that Tim will be the eternal embodiment of the Spirit of Aggieland. I watch something like that tonight, and it's amazing, the emotion that the events of that night still bring out in this cynical, grizzled old coot.......know that he and all of the 12 will never be far from Aggie hearts and minds. Fly high, young man.

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I was going to blue star this, but noticed it had 12 already. That is a fitting number for this entry, so I will put my blue star here.

For the fourth year in a row I've been up making sure my uniform is perfect.

For the second year in a row I sit here preparing what I'm going to tell my fish.

But two things tonight have stuck out to me, I thought about Tim the entire time I polished my boots tonight. I probably put on an extra coat because of that.

And tonight is the last time I have the honor of passing his memory on to another class, slowly time marches on and replaces myself and those that have came before me but in the end it doesn't matter. The stories stay the same while the manner they're told in may change, the message is always the same.

For Tim.