been one hell of a year..had a HAMB meet and greet in june...next morning i found my pop in his house..55 years old..thats a very hard pill to swallow....so im on my way to the PILEUP and my good friend DON FOWLER [fooler] p***ed away...i am bout scared to do anymore car related things!! im lucky enough to have known this man..anyone who ever met him, loved him..the storys this ole greaser could tell!!! bout 2 months ago, i rolled in in my 53...he wasnt feelin to great till we jumped in his 42 ford panel and went for a blast..when we got back i said,,to bad my 53 is so low or we'd take it out[he loved the sound of my split mannied 235!!] he said...hell, i could get in her..so i said , then your drivin!!! i never seen a man dying perk up so fast!!!! i thought he was goin to blow that thing to the moon!!! man, the look on his face was priceless!! just two weeks ago , he stopped at my bar and told me to jump in..he was in his 59 ford...we blew out of town and were quicly roolin over 100 in no time...pops johnny in the tape deck and starts tellin me aobut the time when he and 5 of his other army buds sat in a hanger and got smashed with JC after a USO concert!!!!!how damn kool is that???then just 2 night before he p***ed, i was blastin some wheels in his shop and he needed to get out and get some air..so we got in his envoy [raining to hard for the 59] and drove back roads for hours....i was always on his **** about gettin to work on his merc so i could get a ride in it!!!!but the cancer had other plans.i will be an honorery pallbear[or however that ****s spelled] we are all goin to be in our car and dons ridin in his 42 panel...he was cremated ...between him and losin my dad, its been one roller coaster of a ride!!ive had the most car joy and sadness this year then ive ever had!!!!see ya in heaven fooler and pop!!!!!!i love ya both! heres a shot of dad takin my youngins to the garden to play... other is me and don at my forth party 2 years ago... last is me and don and my great bud phil in foolers shop!!!
There has got to be a better place than this. I believe that would be hot rod heaven. They are both enjoying it up there and you will see them when your time is done here on earth. Keep enjoying life here because it is just gearing ya up for the hot rod heaven's!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! KNUX!
My condolences. I know where you are coming from. My mother-in-law p***ed away just two weeks ago. Last weekend we married off our oldest daughter and right before the ceremony started, we learned that my brother-in-law died that morning. To add to it, my father called the day before the wedding to tell us he wasn't going to make it because he was feeling so bad. I didn't even recognize his voice, he sounded so bad. r
It's a very wise man who can see and appreciate people for who and what they are. Most of us don't even realize - you on the other hand weren't only lucky to enjoy, but smart enough to recognize. Might we all be as bright as you are. Thanks for sharing.
well said. you know by now that Fooler and Stan are up there bangin gears and grinnin from ear to ear. both of them were super cool cats who made one hell of an impression on my life. Stan was more of dad to me than my own pops, and i moved in next door to Fooler when i moved to Wayland. all that matters now is that they are in a better place, probably full of forgottin mercs and amx's. see ya in a week or two brother, keep your head up.
News like that is awful to hear, I have lost a couple of cruisin friends over the last couple weeks also. Take care, -Joe
Pallbearer can be one hell of a load but at least you're in good company while doing it. Keep their memories alive. It will get better. The road they are on has no governing body or posted limits.
Just know that the both of them are free of the speed traps, vapor lock and flat tires forever. Roll on...
don will be in the c=back of this..which he got painted and www's on since this pick...shouldnt be bad...its just an urn..[if that's spelled right??] i just did a HAMB auction and looked at the calender for when to end it...my dad's birthday is tomarrow!!!!jeez, had so much goin on this week id forgotten!!!!! thanks for all the kind words guys....
That's why we should not wait till we are gone to celebrate life. Live life to the fullest and have no regrets. Bless you.
We are all on borrowed time....You just don't know how much time you get to borrow. Enjoy today with people you care for and love......memories are forever. Thanks for the story
dang, man....sorry my wife and i were just talkin' about this stuff the other day.......when all of us were younger.....we either didn't notice or the people around us were young too......now that i'm moving up the ladder, i see more people around me takin' off......****s......
Cancer ****s, i just spent the last three years fighting it myself and still not getting arouond very well and i also lost three friends to cancer in the past year. The one thing i could say is keep those memories fresh and share them with people. I know that after reading the story I wished i'd had known them. even though its sad it did put a smile on my face hearing the stories.
from the looks of his ride....he will be goin out in style....HIS STYLE! Sorry to hear of your loss....but live today as it is your last....they are in a much better place now. GODSPEED
Sorry for your loss man, We lost my Dad to cancer a year and a half ago and it was horrible to see him go through that. I thought I'd never get over it, but when I think of him now its the good times I remember and not about he suffered. Hang in there Dude!
yeah, don fought it for years and went through alot of hell at times..my dad died in his sleep with a whiskey bottle by his side!!thats the way to do it!! ive got the bottle and i figger ill make a little drink next june and go have it with him..oddly enough, my dad would have turned 56 as of 30 seconds ago...HAPPY BIRTHDAY POP!! what weird, my buddy rp [kropduster] .. i buried dad on his birthday, june 15th, now on dads birthday, i will bury don!!!funny how tings work!!! thaks again for the remarks folks..words DO mean alot!!!!todd
well, i gotta be at the deal at 1230..then off to the cemt. for the other deal.....its friggin freezin and mistin rain..great for a car with bullets for wipers and no heater!!!! he's gonna be laughin his *** off *** im freezin mine!!!!! ill give a report of the cars the pallbearers drive..im the only one with a custom type car..other then smitty, but i dont think he is coming cause he had a damn stroke a few days ago...**** i need to start hangin out with 16 year olds!!!this is gettin spooky....and once again..HAPPY BIRTHDAY POP!!!!!10-18-50 when the tri five lit it up leavin the pileup, dad would have lost it..his fav would have been the willys..he was a g***er freek!!!!!
Good men are rare these days. Be thankful that you were the son of one, and a friend to another. It sounds to me that you gave Fooler some good times. I bet those times together made his life much better, and you should be proud of that.
welp, it all went well..it was a touch cold in the ole 53 but the rain never got to outta hand for the rainx wipers heres the line up cop director 54 CHEVY 53 CHEVY 51 CHEVY 59 FORD 42 FORD PANEL[ with don's ashes inside] for a funeral procession that was pretty damn cool!!! the last thing that played at the home was this..no kidding " prop me up beside the jukebox when i die" man did that get us laughin.. my uncles sayed that like in life donny got the last laugh!!! rest in peace my friend and ill see ya on the other side!!!! todd