‘ There was so much joy’

Family remembers former Fairfield man killed in flying incident

FAIRFIELD — The family of a former Fairfield man recently remembered his passion, talent, humor and adventurous spirit after his death in a flying incident late last month.

Charles Crooks, 23, died after falling out of an airplane in North Carolina on July 29, according to the Associated Press.

Crooks attended Osborn Hill Elementary School and Roger Ludlowe Middle School in Fairfield, as well as Fairfield Ludlowe High School for his freshman year, family members said in his obituary.

He went on to attend Brentwood College School in British Columbia, where he was the class valedictorian, then earned his degree at Bucknell University, where he served in the ROTC, graduating in 2020 with a bachelor of arts in political science.

Over the course of his life, Crooks earned a second-degree black belt in taeknowndo, ran cross country, skied, sculpted and competed in debate, his family said.

He had a legendary sense of humor — “the far side of The Far Side,” they said — which included, in his youth, dressing up as the “Batmobile in proud and practical support of his younger brother's and sister's Batman and Robin for Halloween.”

“Charlie reveled in the eclectic, with a taste in music that ranged from bossa nova to King Gizzard and the Wizard Lizard. Without guile or affectation, he nonetheless enjoyed putting on a suit for wine night with friends, sometimes with trademark aviator glasses and empty pipe, an inside joke. This spring he used his new regular paycheck to purchase a reliably unreliable 1978 Fiat convertible. He spent many hours and more than a few dollars trying to keep the car roadworthy while avoiding tetanus,” family said. “There was so much joy.”

But his main passion was aviation from his earliest days, his family said.

As a young man, his family said, he built his own flight simulator and developed a love for flying remote controlled planes. He “read every flight book he could get his hands on and was known occasionally to wear one on his head for transcranial absorption of knowledge.”

He took flying lessons, first beginning at Three Wing Aviation in Stratford, chasing his dream of becoming a professional pilot.

He qualified as a commercial pilot and certified flight instructor, serving as a flight instructor at the Raleigh-Durham Airport, where his humor and style made him a standout instructor, his family said.

In April, he “accepted his dream job as a First Officer with

Rampart Aviation, a specialist contractor primarily conducting support operations for the Department of Defense,” his family said.

In his off hours, he “fused his love for art, technology, and aviation, producing custom designed, 3-D printed components that he shipped to other flight simulator enthusiasts around the world.”

“The resume of Charlie's life could never fully describe the legacy he leaves. He was guided always by a strong moral compass; a fierce love for and loyalty to his family and friends; and a heart that was open and forgiving. He gave everyone a chance,” his family said. “Only days before his death, Charlie shared with his parents that he was exactly where he wanted to be doing exactly what he wanted to do. Not many get the chance to live that way.”