riggerrob 643 #1 May 2, 2003 Sad to report that "Bad Spot Bill" (aka. Bill Van Tassel) has passed away. The Grim Reaper caught up to Bill at the Loma Linda VA Hospital. Bad Spot Bill was a "character" who hung around the Perris Valley, California DZ longer than most of us can remember. Bill was an old-school skydiver and long-time member of the Air Trash skydiving team(?)/club(?)/bunch of reprobates(?). Bill spent his last few years hanging out at Perris, helping out and loading airplanes. Tall Bill was easily recognized by his long white beard and Air Trash hat. You could love Bill, or you could hate Bill, but you could not ignore Bill. Even after throat cancer silenced his voice, Bill still found ways of making his opinions known. He earned his nickname by driving out into the toolies to retrieve hundreds - or was it thousands? - of bad spotters. Our community is lessened by the passing of this old school skydiver. Details of Bill's memorial service can be found on the Air Trash website. http://65.54.246.250/cgi-bin/linkrd?_lang=EN&lah=5695de9f6737ca47a6a4481da721f47d&lat=1051887337&hm___action=http%3a%2f%2fwww%2eairtrash%2ecom%2f Will someone please make this link clicky? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
SkydiveMonkey 0 #2 May 2, 2003 clicky____________________ Say no to subliminal messages Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Zenister 0 #3 May 2, 2003 clicky that works blueskies Bill____________________________________ Those who fail to learn from the past are simply Doomed. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
PhillyKev 0 #4 May 2, 2003 That sucks......met that guy when I was out there in February. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
skybytch 273 #5 May 2, 2003 Bad Spot Bill died a couple years ago. His brother Claude died about a week ago. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
JakGramley 2 #6 May 2, 2003 QuoteSad to report that "Bad Spot Bill" (aka. Bill Van Tassel) has passed away. The Grim Reaper caught up to Bill at the Loma Linda VA Hospital. Bad Spot Bill was a "character" who hung around the Perris Valley, California DZ longer than most of us can remember. Bill was an old-school skydiver and long-time member of the Air Trash skydiving team(?)/club(?)/bunch of reprobates(?). Bill spent his last few years hanging out at Perris, helping out and loading airplanes. Tall Bill was easily recognized by his long white beard and Air Trash hat. You could love Bill, or you could hate Bill, but you could not ignore Bill. Even after throat cancer silenced his voice, Bill still found ways of making his opinions known. He earned his nickname by driving out into the toolies to retrieve hundreds - or was it thousands? - of bad spotters. Our community is lessened by the passing of this old school skydiver. Rob, Actually, Bad Spot Bill, Bill Van Tassel, died of a heart problems several years ago. I think you mean his brother, Claude Van Tassel, who passed away recently at Loma Linda. Both Claude and Bill were long time friends to skydivers at Perris. Everyone here misses both of them. For those of you that are looking for a photo, this is Claude on the left - http://www.perriscam.com/images/PHOTO1481.JPG. One quick story about Claude. That man was like a bloodhound when skydivers lost gear. He could find a reseve freebag or cutaway handle like no one else. Anyway, on one skydive, a jumper lost a Dytter in freefall. The best the jumper could say was that it was in the north field (1/2 mile by 1/2 mile area north of the maintenance hanger). Claude spent the better part of 2 days, but found it and returned it to the jumper. That man was amazing! Jack Gramley Computer Consultant Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
RevJim 0 #7 May 2, 2003 I met Claude on my one and only trip to Perris, over the course of a weekend. You people are right, the man left an impresion. Of the people I met while I was there, he's the one that stands out in my memory like a photograph. Blue Skies, Claude.It's your life, live it! Karma RB#684 "Corcho", ASK#60, Muff#3520, NCB#398, NHDZ#4, C-33989, DG#1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
steve1 5 #8 May 2, 2003 I remember conversing with an old guy at Perris that had a voice machine thing on his throat. (You know, the ones that sound like a robot talking) I wonder if it was the same guy. Too bad about his passing....Steve1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
skybytch 273 #9 May 2, 2003 QuoteI remember conversing with an old guy at Perris that had a voice machine thing on his throat. That was Claude. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
dgskydive 0 #10 May 2, 2003 That was definately Claude with the voice box. You can still talk to Claude because his voice box is in the hands of Cruz (also an Air Trash member). They will be having his memorial jump on the 10th of May at about 2:00-2:30 pm. It will be out of a DC-3. I feel very blessed to be fortunate enough to be on the jump. I knew Claude many years ago and was very upset when I made my way back to Perris a few months ago to find him on his death bed. He will be missed and remembered forever! Dom Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Michele 1 #11 May 2, 2003 QuoteClaude Van Tassel, who passed away recently How sad... I'm sending prayers... Ciels- Michele ~Do Angels keep the dreams we seek While our hearts lie bleeding?~ Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ltdiver 3 #12 May 3, 2003 I will always remember Claude as the one who would always listen and go the extra mile to make sure you're taken care of. He was there one day that I needed a shoulder and he wrapped his big arms around me and let me know he cared. Claude was like that. A big man with an even bigger heart. He is missed. ltdiver Don't tell me the sky's the limit when there are footprints on the moon Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
riggerrob 643 #13 May 3, 2003 Sorry about the confusion caused by my first post. I got to know both Van Tassel brothers when I worked at Perris. You could love them or you could hate them, but you still had to respect them. I was a bit choked when I heard the news of first, Bill, then Claude passing. I guess what got me confused was that Claude picked up the family tradition after his brother Bill passed on. My last memory of Claude is him roaring around in a pickup truck to retrieve a lost soul, er skydiver. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
lurch 0 #14 May 3, 2003 You can still talk to Claude because his voice box is in the hands of Cruz BWAHAHAHAHAHA I'm sorry, I'm not snickering at the loss of another great jumper. I'm snickering because THAT is damn funny. I hope Claude wouldn't mind some freak deriving amusement from this. When I read that I almost fell over laughing. Leave it to a skydiver to create humor even with his passing. Blue ones Claude....Live and learn... or die, and teach by example. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
