My Perfect Wife


In Memory of Erral Lea Plymate

September 18, 1928   -   July 4, 2003

     A web-based personalized memorial is our way of expressing memories of Erral for all time, and making them accessible for everyone to see.  This came about after lengthy discussions between her husband, Glenn Plymate, and children, Debra, Jeff, and Claude.  It was Claude who gave us the idea for creating a website.

     These several pages show Erral's life and the extraordinary woman she was.  She was beautiful, talented, and exceptionally devoted to her family.  Married to Glenn for more than 56 years, it came to an end too soon.  But we should not grieve.

Don't cry because it's over;

smile because it happened.

     The words on these pages have been written by Glenn, in consultation with Debra and with encouragement from Jeff and Claude.


     If you have any comments or questions you'd like to ask, please email me: gply27@gmail.com.  Thanks so much for stopping by.


                                                      Sincerely,


                                                MEMORIAL ENDOWMENT
Founded in 2003, the Erral Lea Plymate Memorial Endowment at the AOPA Foundation is now at a level over $755,000.  Earnings from the Endowment are dedicated primarily to air safety education.  

In 2011, to honor Erral, AOPA established a flight training scholarship in her name -- the Erral Lea Plymate Memorial Flight Scholarship -- to help student pilots pursue their dreams of flying.  A $5,000 scholarship was awarded to a deserving student pilot at AOPA Summit in September 2011.  And, AOPA has promised "This will be awarded annually for an indefinite period."  In March 2012 another $5,000 scholarship was awarded at Sun 'n Fun to Glen Wenzel, a student pilot from North Carolina.  Another  will be given at AOPA Summit in September 2013.  These awards will be inspiration for others to become pilots, and build a stronger future for America as the world leader in aviation and space.

Click on http://flighttraining.aopa.org/ftscholarship for flight training scholarship details.

Five years ago when 2008's economic catastrophe raised havoc in many sectors, a bill that allowed tax-free gifts to be made from IRAs presented a unique opportunity.  "Operation Phoenix" was conceived; matching funds were pledged for donations and 
the Erral Lea Plymate Memorial Endowment -- like rising from the ashes of financial disaster, soared to an undreamed of level.  The key was an innovative gift-matching program.  You can see how it began by clicking on Triple Play. 

Support of the air safety mission can be expressed by joining the generous donors shown on Page 10, Memorial Endowment.  To make a tax-free gift, you can use a printable form or call Agnes Macdonald, Director of Development Administration, AOPA Foundation (301) 695 2112. 

Erral's website is continually under development and several pages are yet to be completed.  A photo album is at the bottom of Page 8, "Full Circle-Back to Oregon". 

There is also a brief story of Erral's flight training and an article about our time away from home with our plane, "Fly-In Beach Cabin" on Page 6, "Three Kids Added".
  

More text and pictures are in the works.  Please stop by whenever you can.

(rev. 5/29/13)