Friends mourn mechanic's passing

Aviation mechanic Rob Bodden, whose body was found in the Pine Nut Mountains Sept. 10, was described as conscientious and hard working by those who knew him.

"I hate to see something like this happen to him. He didn't deserve it," said associate Robert Brown.

In addition to being Brown's mechanic, Bodden leased the hangar where he had his business, General Aviation Services at Minden-Tahoe Airport, from Brown.

"He was a good guy and he kept his nose clean. This is a nasty way to end up," Brown said.

Bodden's body was discovered by a hiker beneath a piñon tree, not far from Williams Canyon on Sept. 10. The cause of death has not been determined.

Chuck Dickerson, owner of Air Sierra, said Bodden owned General Aviation Services for about 21Ú2 years before his death.

"He was very thorough and he did excellent work," Dickerson said. "He took a lot of pride in the quality of his work. He was a real professional mechanic."

Bodden was friends with Mike Wendling, owner of Chapparal Avionics at Minden-Tahoe Airport, for more than 10 years. The two had worked together at Hutt Aviation in past years. After both established their own businesses, they had hangars just a few doors apart.

"He bent over backwards to help everyone," Wendling said. "Even if he didn't make any money, he always wanted to protect everyone as much as possible. He'd work weekends to get job done, if necessary."

Bodden had no children of his own, but enjoyed flying remote control planes with Wendling's son, Patrick, Mike Wendling said.

"He enjoyed seeing the kid fly his plane. When Patrick screwed it up, Rob would help him fix it," Wendling said. "They had a good time.

"I'm really going to miss the guy. He was someone to lean on. We talked about things," Wendling said.

Bodden was reported missing Aug. 27 by his sister, who lives in Carson City. She told investigators she had not heard from him for 10 days.

His wife, Karen Bodden, told deputies she and her husband had argued and he took off Aug. 16 in a plane with a man named "Ramos." Robin Bodden does not have a pilot's license.

She said her husband returned the next day, picked up his clothes and personal items at their home, and left after another argument. She didn't report him missing because they had argued frequently in the past and he left for extended periods.

Susie Vasquez can be reached at svasquez@recordcourier.com or 782-5121, ext. 211.