On May 28, 2011, we lost our good friend Allen A. Ek -- or "Gramps" to those who loved him. We're deeply saddened by this, but honored that some of his last outings were to see the StingRays as he had an extraordinarily adventurous life. He and airplane enthusiast Drummer Ron would often talk about the 35 missions Al flew in a B-24 Liberator as a bombardier. He had a partnership in racehorses, stock cars, and a nightclub (and came to see us!). His excitement for life was evident every time we'd see him -- from the funny comments he'd make to an absolute lack of shyness in his Halloween costumes. We'll always remember and miss Al.