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Some of you may or may not remember Gerry Cole. I saw that his son posted on FB that his father had recently passed. Gerry was a frequent contributor to the Airline Modeler Digest on Googlegroups way back when. I first met him at the 1998 Seattle Airliners International show where he ran the model contest. Gerry was friendly, welcoming, and supportive to a “newbie” me. A few years later he told me that he was finished running the model contest and asked if I would take it over. I was “honored” and said yes. Here it is 27 years later and I’m still doing the contests.
I last saw him at the 2017 Denver show. I had leave early that year so missed the judging. “Somehow” afterwards the results went missing before getting tabulated. We had to do some forensic judging after the contest to sort out the results. All on the “up and up” but also amusing looking back as people often don’t always know what really can and does go on the behind the scenes.
RIP Gerry. I’ll try and continue to follow your example and leadership in running Airliners International Model Contests.
Ken
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Oh no, sad to hear that. RIP Gerry.
Thanks,
ahmed
KSFO
When a clown moves into a palace, he doesn't become a king. The palace becomes a circus.I never had the pleasure to meet Gery in person but we exchanged many e-mails. Great guy! As long as I keep building airliners I will think of Gerry every time a install a photo-etched antenna on my models!
Walter
Regards,
WalterThis breaks my heart. I long regarded Gerry Cole as one of the deans of the airliner modeling hobby. He shared much and taught us much, and set a great example for us, and was a swell guy to work with. It always hurts when we lose one of our deans, but for some reason this one hurts a little more.
Jodie Peeler
"In any dispute the intensity of feeling is inversely proportional to the value of the issues at stake." - Sayre's Law
So sad to hear of Gerry’s passing. I think my first contact with Gerry was in the 80s, when he was running the modeling section of the Captain’s Log. I learned so much from his writings, which certainly made me a better modeler. RIP old friend!
Gene
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This is sad news. Gerry was a long time friend and an icon in the airline modeler world. Thanks, Gerry, for the positive impact you made on so many of us!
Mike
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Forwarding a message that Russell Brown posted on AMD.groups.io group.
Ken
Hi Guys
For those who knew Gerry…. he passed last Tuesday November 4th 2025
from complications arising from Parkinson’s Disease.I met Gerry many times at Airliners International conventions and IPMS
conventions. He was a good friend, always willing to pass along his
knowledge and experience building airliners and other models.I have spoken with his wife, Sharon. She asks that in lieu of flowers,
that donations be made to the Mayo Clinic, and their Parkinson’s
research program. Here is a link to the page at Mayo where a donation
in Gerry’s name can be made:https://give.mayoclinic.org/campaign/744057/donate
Thanks!
—
Russell Brown
Airline Hobby Supplies LLC
P.O Box 2128
Chandler, AZ 85244-2128
http://www.airline-hobby.com
airlinehobby@cox.net
480 792 9589
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Posts: 439Location: Someplace north...Call it PAAQ to start.Occupation: Work wood, 38 years keeping phones working and flying all over with my best friend in the ordo aurorae septentrionalis, Order of the Northern Dawn.Damn. I first met Gerry in KSEA in 1998, when I handled Russell Brown’s table during tech stops (😁) and the contest @ AI that year. He was always a stand-up guy, and a real friend to everyone he met.
Maybe I’m getting too old, but so many of the real legends seem to be falling stars these days.
Wherever you’re flying, keep the blue side up my friend…
Rob in AK
Shoot for the stars, reach your new flight level and fly true.
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