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E-mail StoryMechanic just returned from reunion
33-year-old loved his mutts, girlfriend says
| Friday, Jul 27 2007 10:55 PM
Last Updated: Friday, Jul 27 2007 11:00 PM
Todd Ivens spent last weekend at a family reunion in Oregon. Ivens, 33, died several days later following an explosion as he worked on a propellant test at the Mojave Air & Space Port.
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Todd Ivens
"He came back last weekend completely happy with having seen his family," Ivens' girlfriend, Kelci Spears wrote in an e-mail. "I'm happy he was able to see them prior to passing away,"
Ivens grew up in Alaska and became an aircraft mechanic, his girlfriend said. He lived there until 2006 and moved to Tehachapi as he worked for Scaled Composites.
On his MySpace site, Ivens described himself as a "recovering workaholic" in the aerospace research and development field.
Which means, Ivens wrote, "I make really cool stuff" that flies.
Spears, who met Ivens about a year and a half ago, said he loved working for the company.
"He died doing what he wanted to do, and with his best friend, Eric," she said.
Eric Blackwell was another employee who died in the blast.
Ivens enjoyed working on cars, playing video games and hanging out with his two mutts, Stormy and Wrecks.
"His dogs were his number one passion," Spears said. "I know his biggest concern would have been his dogs. Thankfully I am able to take them in with me so he isn't worrying from above."
Ivens was a big guy, but a very friendly person.
He always offered to open the door for anyone, his girlfriend said.
"His heart was bigger than his 6- foot-3 body frame," she said.