Remembering Len Joeris (Balsa Man)

[jinhusong]

I am so sorry to hear this and I am trying to hold back my tears. He is the main reason I check this forum a few times per day. He is a great man, I learned a lot from him besides the knowledge.

[dholdgreve]

...words are so inadequate at a time like this... condolences... sympathy... nothing even begins to explain how deeply this has impacted me and this group... I never met the man in person, yet I feel like I lost my best friend... a peer and mentor, all in one. Len was the first person to point out that redundant questions had been previously answered... then go on in great detail, explaining over the next 3 or 4 pages the same thing he had explained 14 times before... He had the intelligence of Einstein and the patience of Jobe. No matter which team was asking, he never, ever turned anyone away... No matter how stupid an idea was (and I had plenty of these!) he always heard me out and let me down gently, suggesting that there might be a better way. No, I never met this guy in person, but I sure feel that it was my loss... We will certainly miss you Len...

[baker]

Sad news indeed... Thoughts and prayers to his family. I too never meet Balsa Man but thru the years of discussions with him I came to appreciate his knowledge and patients to teach us all what it takes to be a champion. He will truly be missed. It's times like these that we realize how precious life is and shorter than we would like. Always tells those that are special to you how much you love them everyday.

[cheese]

Len Joeris will be remembered in our community as one who helped so many, and built this entire community up. He's taught me all of the math that goes into this so very gracefully. He helped this Science Olympiad community create wooden structures, lighter than a pencil, that carry tons of weight. He has helped me learn in so many ways I would have never otherwise. May he rest in peace.

[bobthebuilderman]

Len is immortalized with the tower forums.

We will not forget you.

[aldragon]

Thank you Balsa Man for all the help you have provided for everyone on the towers forum. No matter the question or when someone was in need of aid, you were always there to help us. You always provided long, insightful post that helped us build a better tower. Thank you for your time and contribution to scioly.

[FrogLegs]

Dear Jean and Ben,

Thank you for sharing this news about your father. I am certain it was very hard for you, but hope you find a little bit of joy knowing how much he meant to us nameless, faceless friends of Science Olympiad. I discovered this forum my first year of coaching Bridge, almost 3 years ago. I have zero background in science, but wanted to support my son in his passions. Bridge and Towers have now become a passion of mine, and your father was a big part of that. As a quiet observer, I have learned so much about techniques to try with my team. With hard work and his help, my teams have grown so much, achieving what I never dreamed possible a few years ago. What a gift he shared with the rest of us. I always looked forward to reading his posts and will miss his humor, wisdom, and guidance.

I have communicated his passing with others at the State level. It turns out they already knew - he was a bit of a legend. I hope this knowledge brings you a little bit of comfort and happiness. Balsa Man will be very sorely missed.

xoxo

[baker]

For those who would like to know a little more about Len...
http://www.vesseyfuneralservice.com/fh/ ... h_id=13050

[Crtomir]

So sad. I only started corresponding with Len at the end of last season. He really understood Towers and he wanted everyone to be able to get good at building towers and understanding how they worked so students could get better. He will be sorely missed in the Science OIympiad community.

I'm still in disbelief.

[EastStroudsburg13]

I've been meaning to post here. Len has been a helpful member of this site for longer than I've been here, and his helpfulness dates back to past iterations of this site. My lasting impression of him was when last year, I was thrown into supervising Towers at Penn, so I came here to try to get pointers for how to run the event. Len was immensely generous and helpful in giving me tips for how to run the event, even with limited resources, so that when the competition came around, it ran with minimal hitches. I believe he had a positive influence on everyone he interacted with here, and I expect that many people's appreciation for balsa events can be stemmed from his own passion.

He will be missed, and he will be remembered.