Got word yesterday that fellow artist and VERY dear friend Tim,"Flash" Petro of Willoughby Ohio has succumbed to complications from an operation. Probably not many people on here knew Tim(I know Don Moyer did)but he was someone who didn't say a whole lot at a panel jam but turned out a bunch of work.Always had a good word to say about people and in all the time I knew him only saw him angry once;and that was justified. We were going to a car show/panel jam in Pontiac Illinois and Tim had just bought a new Chevrolet Suburban.It was all black and he asked if I would put some lines on it when we got to the show. We took a wrong turn on I-80 and wound up heading into downtown Chicago about 4pm on a Friday afternoon. It was the middle of August and hotter than hell and in the middle of traffic the A/C quits! Nothing like being in an all black vehicle stuck in traffic in August! Tim got so mad he was comtemplating putting it in low 4WD and driving over the roofs of the cars in front of us and back to Ohio and put it through the showroom window of the dealership! Ya had to be there. Anyway we finally got to the hotel we were staying at about 2 in the morning and after checking in pulled the truck into a lighted area and I proceeded to stripe the hell out of it! Thankfully the weekend was much better than the trip out. Anyway Tim was always doing little things for people like airbrushing little characters to make them smile. He especially liked seeing the look on a kid's face when he presented him with something he created. Whenever we got together he always had a cup of coffee waiting for me and would refill it without asking. Two of my most prized pieces from him are a handmade birthday card for my 65th birthday and a plaque he made when I celebrated being in the business for 50 years. It hangs over the entrance to my shop and always will. My friend and fellow striper Shane Syx was always playing fun tricks on Tim and one was the greatest. Tim always wore a derby hat when he painted and at one Rat Fink show Shane bought a bunch of plastic derbies and secretly passed them out to fellow painters and friends. He got his daughter Bri to go up to Tim while he was concentrating on airbrushing a piece and throw her arms around him and say:"OH TIM! You're my HERO!!!!" and everyone who had a hat put them on and said the same thing. Must have been fifty people there.For the first time in my life Tim was speechless. Anyway that was my friend Tim and I will miss him terribly. Another name to add to my growing scroll on the Safari;but he will have a special spot as well. Rest in peace my brother of the brush!
Sorry Safari. It's hell getting older to lose good friends and family. My condolences. Sounded like great guy.
Safari, real sorry to hear about the loss of your friend. Certainly did sound like one of the good ones for sure! My deepest condolences to you, his family and friends. Tony
Sorry for your loss, thanks for sharing some of the good times. Prayers going out to his family and friends. Bob
Sorry for your loss, Safari. Prayers for his family and yours. Posted using the Full Custom H.A.M.B. App!
Sorry to here this. He sounded like a great person; nothing over the top just a great friend, cannot ask for more. Sorry for your loss.
Rest in peace Tim...Condolences to family and friends of Tim. Another loss the the hotrod community. Never easy...
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