Alexander Schaub … our son, brother and “champ” remembered

I will unfortunately be offline for the foreseeable future as we head back home to embrace our fallen angel. I will resume the Rangers blog as soon as possible.
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Alexander, our son and brother to Jacques and Thorsten was born in South-Africa on 18 May 1992. A tragic car crash on Sunday/27 tuned our world upside down and when he passed away peacefully on 28/6, he left an enormous hole that will never be filled in many of our lives. He was only 18 years and one month young.

IMG00124-20100622-1245  … his happiest days were any day he could be up in the air. P7110244 ... always smiling and joking.

 P7060055  … in 2008 Alexander flew in an ex-military jet with his special hero, Ralf. He never stopped talking about that flight. PC220332 … our boys Jacques, Thorsten and Alexander at the end of 2009. The happy trio. P1090417 P1100421 P1100422 .. a very special day with the “Champ” in Vancouver.

There are so many things that made him our special “champ” … his endless and unconditional love for his family and fiends, his gentle nature, his determination to perform well at everything he did, his love for numerous of sports, including swimming and scuba diving, and his sheer passion for flying made him a very special person. He proved himself over and over as he spend the last 1.5 years on his own in South-Africa, finishing school and completing is pilot license by himself, all part of a long dream of one day flying in the German Luftwaffe … he would have graduated in 3 months, joined his family in Canada for a short vacation and would have started his dream career in July 2011.

It is comforting to know that his last few weeks have been very special and that he was on an absolute high. He could not stop talking about his pilot hero and close friend Brian, his special angel Nicola, the “AFOS Flying Team” that became a second and special family to him and especially the many, many hours of flying under the African blue sky.

Alexander, we will never forget you. You have been a phenomenal son and an exceptional example and hero to your brothers. They have learnt so much from you and they will both make you very proud!

For you, we will all be strong and continue with your motto “if you have a dream and you are determined, you can achieve anything”. Your favourite song Danger Zone, performed by Kenny Loggins, will play in our minds forever and whenever we spot a Vulture or Eagle majestically soaring high in the sky, we will smile, knowing that you are free, resting in peace and flying with the best of the best.

Last night Jacques said that if Alexander could say one final thing, he would say … “do not feel sorrow, do not cry for me, but rather celebrate life and remember me by just how much I achieved and lived in my short but very special life” .

Alexander, we love you and we will never forget you … hug from your loving family Mama, Jacques, Thorsten and Papa.

The final farewell ceremony will be at Dove Funeral Home, on Malebongwe, Johannesburg on Friday at 11:00. As per Alex’s wishes, do not wear black, come with a smile and say goodbye to this young gentleman.