Date: Wed, 21 Feb 1996 18:30:04 -1000 From: drkyte@tir.com (Joe Schiros) Message-Id: <312b7735.1609726@news.tir.com> Organization: The Internet Ramp Subject: Elmer Wharton's passing Elmer G. Wharton, 71, a retired executive with Sears, Roebuck and Co., was a noted kite maker and kite flier, winning the Grand Championship at the American Kitefliers Association festival in 1988. A resident of the North Park neighborhood, he died Monday at home. After graduating from the University of Denver, where he had studied theater, he worked as an actor and model. His next career was in kitchen designing. It led him to Chicago and a position with Sears, where he served as national director of training in kitchen sales. In recent years, he gained a distinctive niche in the kite world as the acknowledged American expert on making centipede kites with traditional bamboo framing. He traveled to China, Japan, the Netherlands and Hawaii to teach the skill. One of his centipede kites is in the collection of the Smithsonian Institution in Washington. His interest in kites bloomed in the 1970s. He tried to build a centipede kite but could barely get it to fly. He bought three such kites at a store close-out sale and strung them together to make a great-flying 100-foot kite. His grand champion kite took him 300 hours to build and was 318 feet long. "It's a crowd pleaser," he said. "It flies exceptionally well, and it wins every time I enter it in competition." Survivors include his wife, Rama; two daughters, Wendy Kotrba and Jill McCrae; a sister; and a granddaughter. A memorial service for Mr. Wharton will be held at 7 p.m. Friday in Drake and Son Funeral Home, 5303 N. Western Ave. 02/21: WHARTON Elmer G. Wharton, 71, of Chicago and Denver, beloved husband of Rama; cherished father of Wendy (Richard) Kotrba and Jill McCrae; fond grandfather of Katherine; dear brother of Ardith (Charles) Jablonski. Memorial Service Friday, Feb. 23, 7 p.m. at Drake & Son Funeral Home, 5303 N. Western Ave., Chicago. Interment private. In lieu of flowers, contributions to Heiwa Terrace Japanese Retirement Home, 920 W. Lawrence, Chicago, IL 60640, appreciated. Info, 312-561-6874 . -+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+ Dr Kyte, the \ "I spent most of my money kiter formerly \ on kites, the rest known as Joe Schiros \ I wasted" -+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+ = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = Date: Fri, 23 Feb 1996 05:21:56 -1000 From: "neiman" Message-Id: <9601238251.AA825104173@ccgate.xylogics.com> Organization: Division of Applied Sciences, Harvard University Subject: Re: Elmer Wharton's passing As AKA Region 6 Director, I was privledged to know Elmer and fly with him at SkyLiner club flys, Sky Circus and the Chicago Sport Kite Festival. I also had the opportunity to converse with the man at club get-togethers - He was the embodiment of what all kite flyers aspire to be! He was an expert in his designated kite-making arena, and he shared his knowledge and enthusiasm for kiting with all whom he met. Elmer, active in kiting in Chicagoland, was an early member of one of the oldest kite clubs in existence, the Chicagoland SkyLiners, and was instrumental in raising kiting awareness in his community and the world. Elmer Wharton will indeed be missed by the whole of the kiting community, and especially by those he touched on a regular basis. I am sure there is already, much more aerial art flying high in heaven! On behalf of all Region 6 flyers, God bless you, Elmer! Bob Neiman ______________________________ Reply Separator _________________________________ Subject: Elmer Wharton's passing Author: drkyte@tir.com (Joe Schiros) at ccgate Date: 2/22/96 6:29 PM Elmer G. Wharton, 71, a retired executive with Sears, Roebuck and Co., was a noted kite maker and kite flier, winning the Grand Championship at the American Kitefliers Association festival in 1988. A resident of the North Park neighborhood, he died Monday at home. After graduating from the University of Denver, where he had studied theater, he worked as an actor and model. His next career was in kitchen designing. It led him to Chicago and a position with Sears, where he served as national director of training in kitchen sales. In recent years, he gained a distinctive niche in the kite world as the acknowledged American expert on making centipede kites with traditional bamboo framing. He traveled to China, Japan, the Netherlands and Hawaii to teach the skill. One of his centipede kites is in the collection of the Smithsonian Institution in Washington. His interest in kites bloomed in the 1970s. He tried to build a centipede kite but could barely get it to fly. He bought three such kites at a store close-out sale and strung them together to make a great-flying 100-foot kite. His grand champion kite took him 300 hours to build and was 318 feet long. "It's a crowd pleaser," he said. "It flies exceptionally well, and it wins every time I enter it in competition." Survivors include his wife, Rama; two daughters, Wendy Kotrba and Jill McCrae; a sister; and a granddaughter. A memorial service for Mr. Wharton will be held at 7 p.m. Friday in Drake and Son Funeral Home, 5303 N. Western Ave. 02/21: WHARTON Elmer G. Wharton, 71, of Chicago and Denver, beloved husband of Rama; cherished father of Wendy (Richard) Kotrba and Jill McCrae; fond grandfather of Katherine; dear brother of Ardith (Charles) Jablonski. Memorial Service Friday, Feb. 23, 7 p.m. at Drake & Son Funeral Home, 5303 N. Western Ave., Chicago. Interment private. In lieu of flowers, contributions to Heiwa Terrace Japanese Retirement Home, 920 W. Lawrence, Chicago, IL 60640, appreciated. Info, 312-561-6874 . -+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+ Dr Kyte, the \ "I spent most of my money kiter formerly \ on kites, the rest known as Joe Schiros \ I wasted" -+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+ ****************************************************************** This message was written by the kites/rec.kites mail/news gateway. = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =