American Concorde Victim Loved Flying

July 27, 2000 — -- The lone American victim of Tuesday’s Concorde crash outside Paris was a 64-year-old former Air France executive with a lifelong fascination with airplanes.

“He loved model planes … and as a child loved anything connected with airplanes,” says Therese Fredericks of her younger brother, Christopher Behrens.

She described Behrens as a man of the world — a good-natured person who always looked younger than his years.

“He had a fabulous sense of humor and we just looked forward to him coming all the time,” says Fredericks, of Vero Beach, Fla. “We always thought, ‘Our special brother’s coming.’ My kids loved him. We all did. And now it’s over.”

Behrens, who was single, had lived in Frankfurt, Germany, for about 25 years. He was jetting to New York on the ill-fated flight to visit another sister, Rachel Coats of Annandale, N.J.

“We were going to go out for lunch and take it from there, but all the plans were made and it never materialized,” says Coats. “We feel a great loss. His memory will live with us forever. We all loved him and he was such a wonderful, happy person. Mostly his smile we’re going to miss. And his generosity.”

Fredericks added that despite living abroad, her brother remained close to his family and was generous with his time.

“He would talk on the phone like money was no object,” says Fredericks. “My husband would say, ‘Hang up already.’

“He’d keep talking,” she adds, laughing. “It was his nickel.”

Behrens had been to Florida twice already this year, including a visit to comfort Fredericks as her daughter Joy died in February of complications from multiple brain aneurisms.

During his last visit in June, he told Fredericks he’d be back by the end of the year. He even contemplated buying a house in Vero Beach to be closer to her, Fredericks says.