Home / Articles / Lt. Colonel (USAF Ret.) Wendelle C. Stevens passes at 87
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UFO research pioneer, Wendelle Stevens passed today at 4:44 pm in Tucson, Arizona of respiratory failure.

Lt. Colonel (USAF Ret.) Wendelle C. Stevens passes at 87

Wendelle Stevens (image credit: Maritza Keefe)

Wendelle Stevens (image credit: Maritza Keefe)

UFO research pioneer, Wendelle Stevens passed today at 4:44 pm in Tucson, Arizona of respiratory failure.

Lt. Colonel (USAF Ret.) Wendelle C. Stevens was one of the world’s best known UFO researchers. Born in 1923 in Round Prairie, Minn., he enlisted in 1941 in the US Army and was transferred to the Air Corps in1942. He served in the Pacific Theater during World War II and subsequently in a classified project in Alaska to photograph and map the Arctic land and sea area, where the data collecting equipment onboard B-29s detected UFOs. Stevens also served as US Air Attaché in South America. He retired from the USAF in 1963 and worked for Hamilton Aircraft until 1972.

Wendelle Stevens was actively involved in ufology for 54 years, first as Director of Investigations for the Aerial Phenomena Research Organization (APRO) in Tucson, Ariz., where he retired. He amassed one of the largest collections of UFO photos and investigated a number of contact cases, published in more than 22 books. His most famous one was the Billy Meier case in Switzerland.

In Dec. 1997 he received an award for lifetime achievement at the First World UFO Forum in Brazilia, capital of Brazil. He was a founder and Director of the International UFO Congress and recently transferred his extensive photo collection, library and archives to Open Minds Production.

Major Wendelle Stevens at WADC in Dayton, Ohio.

Wendelle Stevens as a Major at the Wright Air Development Center in Dayton, Ohio.

We will be posting additional stories, photos, and information about Wendelle’s extraordinary UFO research career over the next few days.

About Antonio Huneeus

Open Minds Investigative Reporter J. Antonio Huneeus has covered the UFO field from an international perspective for over 30 years. His articles have appeared in dozens of publications in the U.S., Latin America, Europe and Japan. He was also the co-author of the Laurance Rockefeller-funded “UFO Briefing Document – The Best Available Evidence” and edited the book “A Study Guide to UFOs, Psychic & Paranormal Phenomena in the USSR.” Huneeus studied French at the Sorbonne University in Paris and Journalism at the University of Chile in Santiago in the 1970s. He has lectured at dozens of UFO Conferences all over the world and been interviewed by many media outlets including The Washington Post, the Sy-Fy and History Channels, Nippon-TV, etc. He received the “Ufologist of the Year” award at the National UFO Conference in Miami Beach in 1990 and the “Courage in Journalism” award at the X-Conference in Gaithersburg, Maryland, in 2007.

48 comments

  1. It’s difficult to put into words the sense of loss that I feel at this time. Those of us involved in local Tucson television considered Wendelle a long-time friend for many years. He has left such a legacy to the UFO community! My thoughts and prayers are with his family.

  2. Just look at his photographs! His eyes tell us the story of a life lived large. Good-bye Wendelle C. Stevens. We never met, but I knew your works. May mercy temper the grief of your friends and loved ones. Take care…

  3. As Wendelles brother-in law it is a deep loss.

  4. Wendelle You are going to be greatly missed by many.
    I know you will do all you can to help the field of UFOlogy
    there on the other side. Thank you for everything you`ve taught& shown us all. Look forward to seeing you over there one day. Enjoy your new world with love. : )

  5. Virgilio Sanchez-Ocejo

    I was terribly sorry to learn about his death.
    He contributed to ufology in manny ways.
    Wendelle Stevens will be sadly missed.

    With my deepest sympathy,

    Virgilio Sanchez-Ocejo
    Co-author of “UFOs Contact from Undersea”

  6. I am an investigator under Debbie Ziegelmeyer, state director of Missouri MUFON. I had the honor of interviewing Lt. Col. Stevens in 1999. I’ll be posting that footage on my website soon. In my opinion, he was one of the few scholars on UFO’s and was of great integrity. My condolences to his close friends and family.

  7. What a shame!! I just found out this morning regarding Wendelle’s passing. I knew him well and loved his outstanding research. Where ever he is now, may give him all the answers! Dear Wendelle, we love you and will never forget you.

  8. I met Wendelle through Jim Dilettoso in 1990 and it’s just hard to believe he’s gone. It was an honour to have known the “grandfather” of contemporary Ufology and I hope he passed on peacefully. Always enjoyed being in his presence and engaging in supportive and lively conversations about UFOs, ETs and contactee experiences. Many blessings on your journey Wendelle, and condolences to your family and friends.

  9. Wendelle will be missed by many in the UFO research community. I always disagreed with the data on Billy Meir, but Wendelle’s other work was simply amazing. He really knew his stuff. Your work will stand the test of time.

  10. Dear Wendelle..
    sure enjoyed my time with you and Cece…
    we shared a few meals together… talked … and you fell asleep and started channeling Ramtha… is what i was told… only then to find out you were just snoring…Seems like alot of people knew you in a different light … i just knew you for the person you were… and i know that you will be missed.. but now you don’t have to put up with all the bull shit.. here on this dimension… have been where you are at ..like it alot there.. but can’t leave until my time… so say hello to all my friend and tell them i miss them…
    as my friends would say…. NO WORRIES MATE..
    love always
    your friend
    kiriel

  11. Wendelle was #1 in his field and in his research and even more so, an incredible human being. For us fortunate to have known him: his warm smile and humor will continue to stay with us. We all had a great time at the pyramids in Chichén-Itzá & Tulum, Mexico – though being the eldest, he was the one with best stamina! Your work will live on, Wendelle.. and you will be missed by friends around the world.

  12. Such a monumental loss. A sad day indeed.

  13. Wendelle will always be a special treasure to the UFO Community. We at Cosmic Chronicles enjoyed having Wendelle as a special guest. His knowledge and insights into the UFO World were remarkable. Not only did we consider Wendelle a great guest, but also a great friend.
    We have lost an amazing human being. We know he will continue watching us from the stars.

    Tom Morello and Cathy Star Eagle
    Producers of “Cosmic Chronicles”

  14. A great loss for all of the UFO researchers and the World. Wendelle Stevens will be missed from all.

  15. I want to add my condolences.

    I wish I had known Mr. Stevens.

    Now that he’s on the other side, maybe I can find him over there.

  16. Wendelle Stevens pioneer a model of UFO research and has the American dream of peace and freedom lived and passed away but he has book now determined to learn the truth what has created the divine creation in the universe.

    Dirk Poque` Para and UFO research (UFOSETI AACHEN)Germany

  17. Wendelle C Stevens
    Jan 18,1923 – Sept 07,2010

    Do not stand at my grave and weep,
    I am not there, I do not sleep.
    I am in a thousand winds that blow,
    I am the softly falling snow.
    I am the gentle showers of rain,
    I am the fields of ripening grain.
    I am in the morning hush,
    I am in the graceful rush Of beautiful birds in circling flight,
    I am the starshine of the night.
    I am in the flowers that bloom,
    I am in a quiet room.
    I am in the birds that sing,
    I am in each lovely thing.
    Do not stand at my grave and cry,
    I am not there. I do not die.

    1932 by Mary Elizabeth Frye

    I read this poem and said how it was so fitting of Dad. And then I heard of an Asteroid coming not long after his death. And I said, you know Dad is on that one. There he goes, flying off again on another adventure, to a far, far away galaxy. He will soon be sending messages back of new life forms.
    The pain of the loss of my father is so great. I wish I had been able to see more of him. But he has gone to the great creator now, and is on a new road. I send him off with only love in my heart.
    I want to personally thank all who have sent cards and condolences.
    Dad was a deeply loved man, and so many called him “Dad”.
    He was after all the grandfather to UFOlogy, the stepping board for so many who enteresd the field based on his work.
    I wonder if he ever knew what a catalyst he was in the lives of so many.
    I have a photo of him that I really loved, he looked so happy. He has on a outfit my daughter bought for him.
    As I sit here and write this, more emotions well up. But I know he is in a better and happier place now.
    Thank you everyone for your kindness to my father and to my family.
    Cece Stevens
    http://www.SedonaVisions.com

  18. Thanks to Wendelle and all he did for discovering one of the most important and interesting cases in history.

    He will be missed.

    May he rest in peace.

  19. My condolences to CeCe and family.
    I met your dad in 1980 and he was a big catalyst in my life and many great friends resulted in the process. His first UFO Congress was in Tucson in 1990….20 years ago!
    Yes, Wendelle brought many together as one big family.
    I will always remember that special quality about him.
    As the Pleiadian philosophy goes, like rain before the sun, his process is eternal and joyful.

  20. R.I.P WENDELLE STEVENS

    As a former FIGU member I am sad to hear the news that Wendelle Stevens has passed away.

    Wendelle did a fantastic job in investigating the Billy Meier case during the 5 year period from 1978 to 1982. And he also came out as a very credible witness in this case.

    For example in Billy Meier’s contact 113 on the 6th of August 1978 when he was present at SSSC, Hinterschmidrueti. On this date Wendelle was there when Billy Meier was teleported up to an Plejaran beamship piloted by Semjase and Quetzal. Billy Meier told him what took place onboard the ship that evening. And what took place was that he, along with these two extraterrestrials from beyond the Pleiades star system, witnessed the murder of Pope Paul VI and was told details of the next two popes to follow after the one who just died that evening. Wendelle took pages of notes of what Meier told him when he returned back from the contact. He shared this important information in the You Tube clip “The Billy Meier case update 2006”.

    I find it also interesting that it took a Minnesota born American like Wendelle Stevens to investigate this very famous Swiss case. As Scandinavian born I find it disapointing that there were no european UFO researcher or oransisation capable, willing or with the nessecary resourses to properly investigate this important case during the most important opening 5 years which was when the bulk of the evidence were delivered to Meier by these extraterrestirals who claimed to originate from beyond the Pleiades star system M45.

    Rest in peace Wendelle

    K.B.

  21. So sorry. I had a couple of chances to Interview
    him on Coast, he will indeed be missed.

    Art

  22. A great man who will be missed by so many. I never met Wendelle personaly, an experience i would of loved, but after watching numerous interviews over the years and videos of his presentations at conferencess, i felt a resect and admiration towards him that only happens out of respect for a special human being. Wendelle was one of them people who when listening to him talk, you knew he was letting you in on something that was that you were not supposed to know. The sadness i feel at his loss as someone who never met hi, goes a long way to showing me how his loved ones and friends must feel. Just one words for this man comes into my mind, LEGEND.

  23. We were so lucky to have you among us Wendelle. I hope you are in a better place now. Your legacy will never be forgotten.

  24. Started collecting Wendelle’s UFO from … books in the early 80’s.
    First met Wendelle at the First World UFO Congress in 1991 (Tucson).
    Thanks Wendelle, for your valuable contributions to humanity as a whole.

  25. Wendelle was my uncle that I never got to know. The last time I saw him, I was around 11 yrs. old. I have always told my husband about my sorta famous uncle and last year I started reading more about him on different web sites. I wish I could have spent more time with him in my adult life. I think he was probably a real COOL guy !!!! My thoughts and prayers are with my cousins CeCe and Christine. Love To All, Becky Anderson Stroud

  26. Jennifer (Anderson) Walker

    Last time I saw my Uncle Wendelle was in 1964 before the passing of my Aunt Bobbie.

    Condolences to all family members.

    CeCe & Christine, my cousins, may peace be with you both.

    Jennifer

  27. This is a Message to a wonderful man who i love and always will Wendlle the Greatest Ufoligist of all time you knew exactly evrything that was going on, you served great purpose on this earth and man you are going to advance, so you with those Pleiadies now right i got the contact in my sleep and seen the ship in the sky that aftrenoon just like the 8mm footage, i could hear a voice of somewhat familiar tone to yourz it ws so real, i di not even get to meet you personly on this material state but i sure know we will get to see each other now on the other side i have been in contact with my Mum she passed last year and have been to some great places all thanks to her, its fantastic when you know your going to an even better place, May you Spirit now be at peace and enjoy its journey though the space cause you just keep advancing to the next level wow now you get to see the amazing creation how life formed though space and time.
    Love you Wendelle Stevens, i will be thinking of you always……….
    Adam

  28. David Paul- - - - - -

    I never met the man. But I sure read a lot of his works. He sure was so confident about his findings. I to kept an open mind until I saw things with my own eyes. Once that happens. Your whole life changes with-in yourself. I felt as if I lost confidence with his passing. Like a void opened up. But like anything in life. God has away of filling voids. The truth is out there! Lets all keep our ears, eyes and minds open. He would want that from all of us very much. PEACE!…David Paul——

  29. Wendell was a great man in many respects. From his service to our country to the knowledge and enlightenment he brought to so many of us, his passing is a great loss to the people of this world.

    My condolences go out to Wendell’s family and friends. Hi impact on our lives and our understanding of the world will never be forgotten.

    Thank you for all you have done Wendell. Good bye.

    Mike Whelan
    Steelmark LLC

  30. Camille James Harman

    I’ll never forget Wendelle’s stories he told at MUFON regarding visiting Billy Meier in Switzerland. Also, I’ll always remember that I once asked him, “Do you trust the Pleiadians?” to which he replied, “No.”

  31. What an extraordinary contribution his life was to humanity. We are all so very blessed to have been a part of it. Godspeed on his journey through the stars!

    ~Tonia

  32. Wendelle’s books will remain the true treasures of his legacy. They are really wonderful. He will be missed.

  33. Very saddened to belatedly hear of the passing of Col. Stevens. In 1997 I organised for Wendelle to come to Hong Kong to speak to the Royal Geographical Society and for the first ever HK UFO Conference, both events very well attended. He stayed at my flat and was very good company late in the evening, while I drank to his stories (and he didn’t). He was an excellent speaker and researcher with an encyclopedic knowledge of the UFO enigma and I have a great many of his books and refer to them often. As a result of his visit there is now a thriving community of UFO enthusiasts in Hong Kong.

    I stand by his findings on the Meier case which I have looked at in some detail myself.

    My condolences to his family. RIP my old friend – I hope that you get the answers on the other side.

    Ian Dubin

  34. Wow! I just heard on the Michael Horn radio show that Wendelle has passed on. That came as such a shock to me! I’ve really loved listening to Wendelle’s stories. The man has done some seriously brilliant and wonderful work. I’m so thankful that he took on the Meier case and that he handled it in the way that he did. Without that, it may never have gotten off to such a good start. I feel deeply indebted to his well balanced approach and perspective on such a great passion for the pursuit of truth.

    Thank you so much Wendelle. Thank you, thank you, THANK YOU for everything! 🙂 You’re a hero of mine.

    Regards,
    Daniel

  35. I WILL MISS WENDELE HE WAS A LOT OF FUN TO WORK WITH.

    HOPE ALL HIS WORKS AND PAPERS ARE IN A GOOD PLACE.

  36. Col. PIl. (r.) Roberto Doz

    See you later Wendelle,

    our mission will continue here and there where you are, inside the beams of light

    My condolences to his family.

    Col. Pil. (r) Roberto Doz, coordinator of “ufo and pilots” group – Italy

  37. Where are the options to review his materials?

  38. @Julie H. you can see some of his archives that we have posted here:

    http://www.openminds.tv/category/articles/wendelle-stevens-archive/

  39. Wendelle Stevens research on the Billy Meir photos and related case was nothing short of just plain crap. Stevens was duped by Meir the con-man, but they both cashed in on the book. I call it as I see it.

  40. And still remembered and immortalized on many videos.

  41. Man, I know im late. I first started researching ufology at the age of 20 in 2009. Never really got to meet him.R.I.P Wendelle. And condolences to the family

  42. Sadly, I never had the honor of meeting Wendelle Stevens, but knew who he was through the documentary “UFOs Are Real”, which I watched on television in the 1980s. Much later I saw him on several other documentaries. He was a courageous man, dedicating his life to studying UFOs. His mind was open to the overwhelming evidence supporting their existence and helped to bring that evidence to the world through his writings and his public appearances.

    Rest in peace.

  43. Having Joined A.P.R.O. in 1974 and studying all the UFO information I could get my hands on for the last 40 years I must say that Wendelle Stevens was the real deal, in the understanding and knowledge he put into this fascinating enigma.

    His grasp of the endles possibilities along with extensive resources allowed him an unique perspective which is uncommon with all the agenda promoters who are in the mainstream now.

    Having known him for many years and publishing the UFO Journal of Facts with his grandson Gem gave me a perspective that others may not have had. I really cared for the man who was a true giver and person who could see that the UFO field was not limited to just one extraterrestail race but thousands, all with their own agendas (some good and not so good).

    My perspective is that we are being visited by many groups of extraterrestrials and our ego centrinc blind obessesion with having to explain everything with our limited knowledge base seems to be a sure fire way to create even more lies and agenda promoters who wish to use this field as a control mechanism.

    To those of you who have some doubts or even questions about Earths place in the universe I must say that we earthlings are a small ant like race running headlong into destruction living on the outskirts of the Milky Way, as we have done many times in the past. Most extraterrestails stay far away from Earth and Earthlings as you or I would stay away from the Bubonic plague.

    One race from “Itibi Ra” called our planet “Cancer Planet”.

    Why come here and get dysected,injected and locked up ?

    Wendell will truly be missed, especially by me.

  44. Mr. Stevens was a man of Honesty and Integrity as well as True to his convictions with the Courage to back it up! I am honored to of met him and to have had a private discussion on the Most important subject concerning humanity.

  45. The moving or stationary mysterious lights in the sky!, Some beautiful, some questionable, how-ever we place our lives in their hands to the future of humanity< so we keep them close to our hearts, some as sacred and protected as we do our own past, but we keep eyes to the sky for Quote:( Undetected Copy Cats!) that might be dangerous from anywhere even that of like a close passing meteor from the black unknown darkness, thus that subject shall never be put to the side to be forgotten!!

  46. Daine Luchterhand

    I dedicate this book my friend Betty brilliantly wrote, I know she would agree with this statement… Book’s name: “The Mysterious Lindsey Wisconsin lights” and honor those who gave witness to the strange unknown sightings, and give this honor to you “Sir” great investigator and military personnel, whom went beyond the scope of vision and mind, to challenge what we don’t know and to make it a protected (And it should be”) added part of our worlds history!

  47. Wisconsin Dells needs to add a UFO ride, eatery and small museum with alien dressed people serving the food! But as a fun time with some dedicational history also and alien comic joke or art UFO or alien drawing contest!

  48. Could not even wish to read something better than this.

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