As the years go by one after another, And while the road ahead of us gets shorter, As the road behind us get longer,... A personal tradition I have takes on more of a somber meaning,... I have written about it before, And in fact it seems to be a reoccurring theme for me,... Just can't find a way to adequately express in words... The feelings that AUTORAMA evokes,... And as the list of friends "lost in the night" grows,.... So does the somber emotions. Over the last 18 months, That list grew by three,.. Fast Eddie, Dearborn Jerry and "Fab32".... As men we rarely want our emotions to show, let alone talk about it. But I have to tell you I got really choked up at Franks memorial service (More than I thought was possible for a crusty ol' galoot like me.) But Frank was like a Brother to me.... As well as many others he adopted into his "Family",... For Frank, bloodline and DNA had precisely "NOTHING" to do with whom he inducted into his family.... And truth be told you have no choice in the matter if he adopted you. Case in point,... There was this Punk kid on the HAMB that had some talent, But when he hit a bit of a in-pass on his project, the level of frustration (fueled by his passion) had him at a point where he was just about willing to chuck it all.... But it was too late,.. Frank already adopter him,... Yep ! Congratulations Frank & Sharon... It's a Boy ! Under Franks wing he went !... And that punks passion and talent was nurtured... And grew, In fact I can't tell you how impressed I am with that punk !... He has three Hot Rods under his belt,.. And he's closing in on number four !... Frank was proud of that kid (Personally,.... I thought he was a goof ball). You know,.. When someone is called home from this world we all leave things behind,.. Words, smiles, love, relationships and material possessions.... Bonus points if it's something you built with your own hands, with your own vision, from only raw materials... Every Hot Rod built embodies part of it's builder... You see it in the welds, brackets, stance, proportions,... every little aspect of that car was thought about, tweaked, modified and finally was acceptable to the one that envisioned it's existence in the first place. When you look at a certain Chopped Deuce Tudor, In black primer with a yellow chassis and gas tank,... You see Frank... You see his hands and eyes all over it,... It was perfectly suited to him... Now Frank would be the first one to tell you to "never love anything that cant love you back" But when it comes to something you built.. It can certainly be special to you. And for those that have seen you get into and out of that Hot Rod countless times, You start to see the two as inseparable, The two somehow will always be thought of together. Frank and I had talked about Frank Mack, Doane Spencer, Tom McMullen etc…. How the Hot Rods they created will always remind people of who built and drove it. Although you can’t take your Hot Rod with you when you leave this world, You can only hope the next caretaker will think it’s as special as you did. To enjoy it, work on it, cuss at it, be proud of it, be disgusted at it… And just generally take care of it. The night I found out that this “Punk” and the FAB32 Sedan’s futures were to be shared I was really pleased, How much better can it get than for somebody that was mentored by you, and who you got to see the passion of Hot Rodding grow in. Watch there skill sets grow as you passed the torch of knowledge to them… End up owning and caring for a object of shared love of Hot Rods. Franks car couldn’t have gone to a better pair of hands,… And I have no doubt Frank has that sly grin on his face whenever he hears that punk fire that bad boy up… And I have no doubt when that that Punk wraps his hands around the wheel and hits the starter,… He can feel Frank right there with him. There was some discussion at Autorama about what Frank would think about his old Deuce cleaned up and in the show… Some thought he wouldn’t be pleased, Some felt it was a fitting tribute. One thing is for certain, It brought a big smile to a lot of folks faces… Because they didn’t just see Frank’s car sitting there, They seen Frank himself. The fruits of his labor, And all the memories it brought to mind. As for me,… I also seen a long haired Punk (And his better half) having a blast and enjoying all the attention the car got. And from time to time, I would catch this Punk glancing back at the FAB32 Deuce,… And just for a second,.. The only two people there were him and Frank…. In the still of the night as I was walking around the Basement at Cobo, I get a chance to spend a little time with those friends on the ever growing list. There was a familiar outline standing in the isle,.. A big ol bear of a guy, hunched over just a little, in a well worn leather jacket, hands in his pockets,... As I approached, he tipped his head and looked at me from the corner of his eye,. That sly old grin firmly on his face... The one that was half good natured ribbing, and pride all mixed into one,..... Sometimes you can just read expressions,... This was one of those times. I said... "The kid is taking pretty good care of the old heap"... (In that unmistakable voice that sounded like a human foghorn I herd) "yeah !... I never took this good of care of it myself ".. "So, What do you think ?"..... His grin got bigger "It looks pretty good here" Yeah, The kid has really stepped up to the plate,... In more ways than one. (Once again he had that squinty eyed smile of pride, That needed no translation) Here is how it looks in the still of the night when shadows and echos come out to play ,..... If you look closely you can see Ol' Frank standing there,.. It might not be with your eyes,... But if you look close with your heart,... You'll see him.
Well said...I can just see Frank kicked back in his chair without a worry about the dirty windows and dusty tires. I think of him quite often. Charlie
What a passionate and glowing tribute to your friend. Probably one of the best pieces ever written on here. Well said, Sir.
After reading your tribute I was looking at the pictures and thought I did see Frank but wasn't really sure because my vision was a little blurred. Great tribute to a great man. Rest in peace my brother!
Great story and tribute,That gives all of us something to think about. Franks car looks good setting there..
Well Harms way, your description of Franks stance and demeanor is exactly as I remember him. It brought him to life if even for a moment. What a great tribute. Thanks for the pictures and memories. Not a dry eye.
Never knew Frank but remember his posts on here. That was a great post. As I get older one thing I think about is what will happen to my car when I am gone. Frank has to be smiling down knowing his car is being enjoyed as much as he enjoyed it. I hope someone will enjoy my car when I have passed on. They say the value of your life is not by how much money you left behind but by how many friends you leave behind.
What a wonderful, heartfelt tribute! I did not meet him personally, but respected his posts here, and swapped Emails on several subjects. Even with such limited contact, you KNEW he was a truly caring, knowledgeable person!
Wish I would've seen this the first time around. Thanks Dennis, normally I couldn't care less what people think of me. But the fact that so many people who knew and loved Frank said that I was the right caretaker for his sedan really means a lot to me. I've been driving it for over a year now through rain, sun, and snow. I even take it out to his shop where I'm working on a few hot rod projects. I'm happy that his wife can smile now when she hears that old deuce pull in. I've changed it up a little, but there's no doubt it's still Frank's sedan.
Dennis, I missed this post the first time around but am very glad I got to see it now. Your narrative was very haunting and yet encouraging. With the losses that we have had to absorb lately...Frank, 3WLarry, Ron Hickman, and countless others it can cause a person to feel quite somber. As I think about these men and their impact on others and the fact that they are no longer here to share their lives with us, I can be left feeling pretty hollow and empty. But as I reflect on it, and think of the memories...and as I hear the memories that others share as well...I am filled with joy. Each of these men have left a mark on the people around them. And by leaving that mark they have left a little piece of themselves with the people they came into contact with. Certainly with their families. But also with their friends and also with people they may have never met in person, like here on the HAMB. It has been a privilege to rub shoulders with these men and even though they may be physically gone, because of the impact they have made on so many people here it's almost like they have never left. Everywhere you might turn, or in every conversation you might have, there are small reminders of these men and that makes me smile. Thank you... Steve
We lost "FAB32" two years ago today,... We lost Pete Chapouris today, .. And 3WLarry was the first to respond to this thread,..... The road before us keeps getting shorter and shorter,..... But, The view in the rear view mirror,.... why,.. it's truly epic !
I missed this the first time around also. When I am working on my dads ol 58 Impala I can picture the sly grin you talked about, the way he'd be hunched over. The last paragraph I read truly flooded me with the same types of memories I have of my dad. Thank you for bringing those up with your fine tribute to your friend. Kevin
The Jalopy Journal
