SPRINGFIELD – Jim Van Kleek was known as a meticulous craftsman, a storyteller, a great leader, a good friend and “a big teddy bear.”
Van Kleek, Lincoln Land Community College’s Aviation program director, died July 29 at age 59, nine months after being diagnosed with pancreatic cancer.
Standing well over 6 feet tall, Van Kleek was known by some as “a big teddy bear,” said David Pietrzak, who took over as program director.
“Anything that Jim left his mark on, people had something goodto say,” he said, pointing to Van Kleek’s involvement not only in the Aviation program, but also in his church and other activities.
Van Kleek was “always willing to help and teach. He didn’t try to keep his stuff a secret,” said Rick Stillman, an Aviation instructor.
“If you got him in class, he would almost teach by telling stories … everything from growing up in the hills of southern Missouri to progressing onto the rest of his life,” Stillman said.
Born April 7, 1955, in Kansas City, Mo., Van Kleek spent 20 years in the U.S. Air Force. He came to Springfield in 1993 after retiring from the Air Force, where he oversaw a sheet metal plant for plane repairs in Omaha, Neb.
Pietrzak met Van Kleek when they worked together at Garrett Aviation, now StandardAero. Van Kleek went on to work for the Air Combat Museum at the Abraham Lincoln Capital Airport, where he was able to use his skills and passion for vintage airplanes.
Van Kleek was known as being meticulous, an important characteristic for anyone charged with making sure airplanes are ready to take flight.
His passion for craftsmanship and artistry led him to work on “war birds,” the planes that the United States mass produced in the 1940s to take on Adolph Hitler, the Japanese and the Axis powers in World War II.
The United States built as many planes in the 1940s as the rest of the
world combined, Pietrzak said. Yet after 70 years, very few of those planes are still around, let alone capable of flight.
There may be some museum pieces, restored for aesthetic purposes and hoisted into their final resting places for spectators to view. But Van Kleek was part of a small group of enthusiasts who helped the war birds soar again, Pietrzak said.
It’s an expensive and difficult task, he said. The workers try to maintain historical accuracy, with a few modern upgrades in
We saw this place go — due to his hard work and leadership — go from mediocre to a first-class operation.
– David Pietrzak
communication to meet modern-day requirements by the Federal Aviation Administration.
Van Kleek worked on several projects, but also his expertise and connections made it possible for Lincoln Land students to apply their skills in repairing a B-17 bomber in 2013 while on tour in Springfield and a P-51 Mustang fighter plane.
In November 2007, Van Kleek took over as program director of the Aviation Program.
“We saw this place go – due to his hard work and leadership – go from mediocre to a first-class operation,” Pietrzak said.
The 18-month program currently has 24 students in the airframe and powerplant aviation maintenance program. The program prepares students to obtain FAA airframe and powerplant certificate.
Van Kleek had “a lot of passion for what he did and doing it well … and for sharing that knowledge, which I think is what really brought him to the school,” Stillman said. “He thought aviation was a wonderful career … one of those secrets that wasn’t supposed to
be a secret.”
Pietrzak and Stillman were surprised by how quickly Van Kleek’s cancer advanced. His illness forced Van Kleek to announce his retirement.
The college planned a large sendoff party for Van Kleek on June 18, but his health forced its cancellation.
The Aviation program still got one last chance to express its gratitude.
The tight-knit group often holds barbecues. On a day when Van Kleek was feeling better, he came into the program’s facilities for an impromptu lunch with staff and students. The crew gave Van Kleek a runway light attached to a plaque as a way of thanking him.
“I’ve been working 40-some years in the working world since high school,” Pietrzak said. “This has definitely been the best job I’ve had.”
Pietrzak said it will be different without Van Kleek. There is a hole in the Aviation program.
“We’ve lost one of our great inspirations,” Stillman said. “We will press on, but we will never replace him.”
Van Kleek is survived by his wife, Janie, of Riverton, seven children and 10 grandchildren