This was just a very warm, beautiful Spring day at RAF Woodbridge in England (1992) - a few months after Tim and I arrived (across the pond) as they say.  It was a weekend and everybody had the day off so a group of us from work got together to throw the football around, play some volleyball, bbq, hangout and enjoy the weather. 

Miss you bud! Loved our competitiveness with each other - football, motorcycles, fooseball, you name it! You were a great friend. 

Tim, Russ, Joey, Abe, and I went camping and mountain biking up to the top of Mt. Snowden, Wales. We stood on a rock pillar at the top (the highest point in all of the UK) and froze our butts off posing for this picture with the 40 mph winds!  

If you look real close you can see frost starting to form on Tim’s eye lashes. Lol. It was so cold and windy I had to cover the side of my face. 

We got down from the rock, grabbed a cup of hot chocolate at the little snack bar and rode our bikes all the way down to the bottom. Was a really fun ride down. 

I saw this and immediately thought of you. It’s been so many years but you will always be my love and angel. Makes me think of my happiest years when we were together.  ❤️

Another of my favorite pictures of him. One of the last taken.

Chad took this one. I have NO CLUE who the little dude is.

I took this pic. We were all on a camping trip. Tim and I ended up having to sleep in Chad's truck halfway through the night because I had a nightmare that there was a giant bear ready to rip into the tent. I could tell he was annoyed with the "female" but he never stopped being a complete gentleman and slept in the truck with me. They really shouldn't post so many bear signs to plant that seed in my head. ;)

Chad called me tonight. I've been trying to track him down for almost 14 years. I cried and shook when I heard his voice. I'm crying again writing this. He's the closest thing to you. We both miss you so terribly!

Can you see the look on his face? He was telling me I better not do it...

Can you see the look on my face?...I did it! I'll have to find that pic...Lol

Wedding in Crescent City - The white wedding dress I'd made didn't quite work. Should have tried it on again before that day. Good thing I had another dress with me. The ceremony wasn't super fancy but we didn't need anything more than two rings and the preacher. Happiest day of my life!

I remember one day when we visited Mom and Dad Hoecherl's house, Tim was there and he showed me his car in the garage and we sat in it listening to recent tunes with that great speaker system.  I thought I had died and gone to Heaven that day enjoying the songs and just sat there for awhile in the presence of Tim, Barb's youngest brother.

Copy and paste this link and watch the video.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zbsBUf9VKyc&feature=channel

Sweet Day

On the day you were born
I was alone in a hospital room
Left with memories
Of first kicks and sonograms
And preparing the nursery
Then the nurse brought you back to me
And I saw you again
That sweet day

On the day you started school
I was alone in a silent house
Left with memories
Of first words and steps
Midnight dancing in the living room
And feeling you cuddled up next to me
Then school was out
And I saw you again
That sweet day

On the day you left home
I was alone in my thoughts
Left with memories
Of first dates and driving
Long talks in the kitchen
And feeling your every heartbreak
But I knew you’d be back to visit
And I’d see you again
That sweet day

On the day you were buried
I was alone in a broken heart
Left with memories
And a headstone
And the spent shells of a 21 gun salute
And though I feel as if I can’t go on
I know I’ll see you again
Some sweet day

(Dedicated to Mom)

                                        Weekend Camping Trip To Wales

               When we were in England, we went on a weekend camping trip to Wales with three of our friends: Joey, Abe, and Russ.  We packed our tents and bikes up in Abe's truck and hopped into my car, then headed off to the biggest mountain in the U.K. to go hiking, biking, and camping. None of us had been there before, so we didn't know what to expect. We got to our destination kinda late, it was already night time, so we had to set up our tents in the dark.  Tim and I shared a tent, Abe and Russ were in another and Joey had his own little pup tent. A storm was coming in and it was really windy, so it was a pain in the butt trying to set them up. Just as we got the tent up and staked into the ground, it started sprinkling on us. So we jumped inside, setup our sleeping bags and everything, then went to bed.
               Well, as the night went on, it kept raining and raining, and the wind was whipping. Sometime in the early morning, probably around 3 am, we woke up cause water was flowing thru one corner of our tent (the corner where Tim was sleeping) so he was getting all wet. Then we heard car doors opening and shutting. We peaked out from the zippered door, and Abe and Russ' tent had collapsed and were getting in the truck to sleep for the night. Tim said,"the heck with this", and he climbed in the car to sleep. What a disaster!  I stayed in the tent cause my end was dry and I think Joey was fine in his little tent.
              It stopped raining, and morning finally came.  We go up, started a fire, and made some breakfast (bacon and eggs). Then we grabbed our bikes and set out to conquer the mountain. It was so beautiful there. Everything was so lush and green. Foggy in the morning.  Something you would picture in a movie.  Our big plan was to ride our bikes up the mountain. It wasn't real huge— I think it was only like 2500 or 3000ft high. At the bottom there was a souvenir shop and a steam engine train, that took people to the top, or there was a walking path. We got on our bikes and headed up the path.  Well, we probably made it about 1/4 mile before we realized "no way are we gonna be able to peddle up this thing"!  It was way too steep to peddle! So we got off the bikes and started pushing them up the hill. About half way up, I was so out of breath, I was saying "forget it, I'm done". Russ was ready to head back down too. As we kept getting higher, it was getting windier and colder too. But Abe and Joey kept pushing, so we were like "I guess we better follow". I'm glad we did. It was so beautiful! I have some great pictures of the steam engine train chugging up the lush green mountain, and us pushing our bikes.(haha) We finally made it to the top. It was awesome, and it was freezing cold! Luckily there was a little store/observatory up there that served hot chocolate. So we had a chance to warm up and check out the view. There was a 10-15ft boulder at the top, so I gave my camera to ,another tourist, and the five of us climbed up on the top of it and fought the bitter cold and wind to pose for a picture. One of the greatest pictures I own!  You can see frost forming on Tim's eye lashes, and I have my hands covering one side of my face, trying to block the arctic blast of wind.  It's hilarious! But we conquered it!!
              Now the funniest part was the ride down. A two mile trek down the rock and dirt path, playing follow the leader. It was really awesome scenery, and it kept getting warmer and warmer on the way down. So much fun!  Russ and I were leading, followed by Joey, Tim and Abe. It took us probably an hour and a half to get to the top, and only about 10 minutes to get to the bottom.
             Now poor Tim... when Russ and I got to the bottom, we looked back and Joey wasn't far behind, but Abe and Tim were still way back. So we were like "what the heck?"  Well, I guess Tim's brake pad fell off his bike so he had NO brakes!  He has to put his foot on the front tire to slow himself down.  That was his brakes! (How funny) So he had to take it easy all the way down.
         Sounds like all kinds of disasters, but I tell you what, it was one of the most fun and most memorable camping trips I've ever had. Something I will never, ever forget. And I have some great pictures of it. Especially the one of us up on the rock!!

Chad Zahn

                                                   MY BEST FRIEND

          I first met Tim in the Summer of 1990, when he & I were two brand new airmen getting stationed at Edwards AFB in Southern California. We didn't start off  as friend's because I use to make fun of his crazy looking chop-top Volkswagon Bug and his Texas southern drawl. But after working with him in the 615th AMS (Avionics Maintenance Squadron) for about 6 months, I decided to be his roommate in the dorms.
           Anyone that knows Tim, knows he likes to argue/ debate, so when I first moved in, we had a lot of arguements. I thought, "this is never going to work". Especially because I was a Vikings fan and he was a dreaded Packers fan!  But we soon found out we had a lot of common interests, such as football, motorcycles, and girls.
            What really drew us together was our love for motorcycles, speed, and the open road.  I bought my first bike, a Kawasaki Ex-500, red and black, and 2 weeks later he bought his, a blue and white Honda 250 Interceptor.  After work we use to redline our RPM gauges and hit 100 miles/ hour down long desert roads into town to catch a movie.  Oh, what an adrenaline rush!  We were so young, and wild, and free!
             I was with Tim through all the loves of his life: from Diane, to Angie, to Heather.  We use to talk, counsel, and tell personal secrets about our love lives, like best friends do. In the Summer of 1991, we both found love at the same time with Angie and Vonda, who were also best friends. We all had a whirlwind love affair that could have been scripted into a Hollywood movie.
             At the end of that Summer, we both got orders to go to RAF Alconbury in the United Kingdom.  We both spent 3 full years there together, as roommates again.  In that time we both took many memorable trips to London, went camping in Wales, had several TDY'S  (temperary duties) to Italy, Turkey, and Germany, and had one really cool ride across Europe on our bikes. Just an unforgettable and unbelievable time.  He and I became such good friends.
              In 1995, when I got out of the Air Force, I moved in with him while he was stationed at Beale AFB in Northern California, so I could go to college. He helped me out so much financially while I went to school. He paid for most of the rent, and would give me a loan until my next payday whenever I was broke. We both had our motorcycles still, (both of us on our 3rd one)
             I had my Honda CBR 600 and he had his Honda VFR 750. Eventually I traded mine for a car, and he crashed his into a deer, somewhere in Kansas, coming back from Texas.  One of the many motorcycle wrecks he had- and survived!
             In 1997-98 is when I met Renee and moved out, and he met Heather, and she moved in. It was never the same after that. We didn't spend as much time together and neither one of us had our bikes to cruise on anymore. We were still best of bud's, but we were both kind of starting our own lives. That next year, 1999, I moved to San Diego, California and that was the last time I saw Tim.
           Tim and I had such a close and amazing friendship, we could practically read each others minds and knew what the other was thinking when we looked at each other.  If I were to see Tim tomorrow, it would be like we didn't skip a day apart.  That's how vivid my memories are of him.
Timothy Paul Hoecherl will always be my best friend— for life!  There will never be another like him!
Chad Zahn
   

There are many memories I have of Tim growing up.

One in particular, come to mind right off.

We were riding out to the mailbox on his three wheeler to get the mail.  I was sitting behind him with my feet dangleing off to each side watching the ground whizz past.  He had told be to be sure to keep my feet up, but I was getting tired, so I started letting my feet skip..skip..skip on the ground then...KAAATHUD!  My foot got caught under the back wheel and next thing I knew the three wheeler had run over me and I was laying face down on the driveway eating dirt.  How I didn't get seriously hurt I'll never know, but he came back to check on me and I wasn't hurt except for my pride.  I learned it wasn't such a bad idea to listen.

I don't have many memories of Uncle Tim. By the time I was old enough to remember he was in the air force and stationed somewhere else. I do remember him coming to visit and taking us for rides in his "fancy" black sports car. I don't remember what kind it was but I remember it was one you didnt see to often in our small little town. I remember all the neat stuff that was in his room at grandmas house that was off limits to touch. I remember him pouring coke from a 2 liter bottle into a cup and holding the bottle over our heads as he poured and being amazed that he didnt spill any of it our make the glass over flow. I remember some of the girls he brought home that he was dating. Diane in perticular cause she used to go outside with us and hold our hands and spin us around till our feet didnt touch the ground. I remember being upset when we were told she wasn't with Uncle Tim anymore. I remember when he brought Heather down but just barely. I remember I liked her hair. I wish I could remember more but Im glad that we have this site. Im learning more about him now than I knew before and I feel like im getting to know him through this.

The year Tim brought Heather home to meet us, he was busy all week creating a treasure hunt as her Christmas gift. He had her go to several different places out in the yard. Each place would send her to another spot, but first she would have to figure out where through the clue he gave on the note. One spot she found a shovel, & was directed to the last place where she had to dig up her gift.  I remember telling Tim, "She will be looking for a ring after making her hunt like this".  He just grinned & said "She knows I can't afford that"!    Well her plane came in, & on Christmas morning it was cold & misting a little, & he gave her the first "clue" & the hunt was on.  After a while they came in the house with gift in toe. Tim had put a CD in a metal box & buried it in the woods!! They were both smiling, so guess it was a fun Christmas after all.

Since I was the youngest, all the “jobs” that went along with raising Tim were passed down from one person to the other until they reached me and I had no one to pass them along to.  I guess, in a way, he taught me how to be a “mom”.

I remember I would always spin Tim around on our rocking chair in Wisconsin (he was just a baby)and sing the song, “Turn around, turn around, turn around and you’re a young man going out of the door.”  

When we first moved to Texas, I was a senior and Tim was in 1st grade.  On the bus I couldn’t understand what one of the guys was asking me.  After he had repeated, “Whagra chewin?” about 5 times and was met with a blank stare and apologetic, “I’m sorry, I don’t understand you.”  Tim piped in and translated with, “What grade are you in?”

Once when Tim was in middle school, I was driving my “new to me” Grenada to Longview to get the license and came to a yellow light at 259 and 31.  Out of habit from driving my Vega, I slammed the breaks to the floor.  We did a complete 360 barely missing another car.  I made him promise not to tell Mom.  I don’t think he did because she never said anything to me about it.

I used to take Tim to movies like Terminator (pretty wild back then) with the stipulation that I could cover his eyes and he would plug his ears during any “sexy” parts. (This was while he was in high school)  He never tried to push my hands away and never complained about it.

While cleaning out my closet the other day I found a picture Tim had made on the computer while I was in Portugal.  Mom had found it and sent it to me without him knowing about it (she wrote that she knew he wouldn’t send it but knew I would want it).  It was a page with fancy lettering that said, “I love you Barb”.

After Tim left home and I got married, he’d come over and visit.  We had MANY late night talks (and arguments and lectures).  Even if things got tense, we always parted on good terms.