Herb Jorgensen

Herb Jorgensen came to flying later in life. "As Dad was preparing to sell the family business in the early 1990s, I think that he was looking for what was next and he found flying," said his daughter Patti. At the time of the sale, Herb was the president of R-Line Foods in Ripon, Wisconsin, which was a food manufacturing company started by his father in 1948.

Herb jumped right into taking flight lessons and before he even got his certificate, he purchased a plane. For Herb, flying was not about the destination, it was about the experience. He shared that passion for flight for many years as a Young Eagles pilot.

He hangared his aircraft in Oshkosh, which naturally gave him an opportunity to become involved with EAA. He met the Pobereznys and became one of the first members of the A-Team. A-Team members are volunteers who welcome and escort VIP guests around the EAA AirVenture Oshkosh grounds. He was a proud member of the A-Team for nearly 20 years and helped introduce newcomers from all over the world to EAA's annual aviation family reunion. "Similar to flying, being a valued part of the EAA community—and especially the AirVenture A-Team— was important to his identity after he retired," Patti said. "He just loved it."

Herb believed in not only giving his time but also in giving financially to the organizations in which he believed. He was a member of EAA's leadership giving group, the President's Circle, and a First Wing society member. He understood that time, talent, and treasure was what make organizations like EAA work.

Sadly, Herb died in November while deer hunting with family members. While he will be sorely missed by his EAA family, he will not soon be forgotten. Herb, thank you for your years of service to EAA by being a loyal A-Team member and for helping EAA to continue engaging the next generations of aviators through an estate gift to EAA Aviation Foundation. Tailwinds and blue skies forever!