HILLIARD, Ohio — Family and friends remember the Hilliard man who was killed in the Dallas air show when two planes collided in mid-air.
Longtime family friends Landa and Rick Brunetto, who own Valley Dale Ballroom in Columbus, said everyone who knew Curtis Rowe is shattered by his tragic passing.
“He was everyone's guardian angel, he just was,” Rick said. “When Curt was there, you knew everything was going to be okay. And now it's not, it will never be the same without him.”
The Brunettos say Rowe was a World War II aficionado and had two loves: flying and ballroom dancing.
“He used to wear this Glen Miller bomber jacket and he just loved the music. It all fits with his love of airplanes,” said Rick.
Rowe was a B-17 mechanic for more than 30 years and was a mechanic for the flying aircraft he was on in the airshow.
"When he talked about the B17, he called it his mistress. And that's what he said that night - well I won't see you guys next week, I'm going to Dallas to be with my mistress,” Rick said.
Landa said his love for airshows grew from watching his father fly.
“It was his touchstone to World War II. It was a salute to his father because he grew up with his father being in the army,” she said.
When he wasn’t in the air, Rowe was serving the community, building the ballroom and serving as a talented carpenter.
“He's a very talented carpenter, remodeler, electrician, and he's just one of the most giving and generous people I've ever known in my life,” Rick said.
The Brunettos say most of all, Curtis will be remembered for his love of people.
“He helped anybody, it wasn't just us. Everyone is brokenhearted because we all know now what we have to go through life without,” Landa said.