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Sorry if this is a little winded, I don=E2=80=99t usually post things this =
long, but I felt the need=E2=80=A6I'm sure many of you have similar stories=
.
It was with shock, almost utter disbelief when I opened the first of a =
smattering emails on Christmas eave on the team lists that Charles had pass=
ed away. As I gasped, my wife asked, =E2=80=9Cwhat=E2=80=99s wrong=E2=80=
=9D and I had to click on the link in Randal=E2=80=99s email and view the n=
ewspaper article, and there it was in black and white. Tears well up as I =
fondly remembered his huge smile when he saw us at the Coventry inn that ev=
ening, after many many years of talking to him, sometimes having a pint wit=
h him as well at Truimphests when he would come all the way out to the west=
coast, and telling him that =E2=80=9Csome day=E2=80=9D we would drive out =
to Armagh in my little 72 Spitfire, to attend the Summer party (a truly sp=
ecial event if you have never gone).=20
4 years ago we decided that it was the year, as we were not getting any=
younger, and could still make the 2500+ miles in a tiny 40+ year old car j=
ust to get there. Our trip ended up being a little longer, we stopped in C=
olorado to visit with my wife=E2=80=99s sister since it was on the way. We=
stayed at the =E2=80=9CWigwam hotels=E2=80=9D on route 66 on the way out a=
nd ended up also going to Niagara falls on the Canadian side (hey, we were =
going that far, why not make an event out of it). We arrived in the evenin=
g on the first day before the party, and settled into out hotel in town. W=
e decided to go to the Coventry Inn (got lost trying to find it) to have di=
nner, since I wanted to see the plaque with my name on it I had purchased s=
o many years prior, but figured I would never really see it. We were sitti=
ng at a little table, had not ordered dinner yet, but I did have a pint sta=
rted and we saw Charles entering the restaurant. He notices us after sayin=
g =E2=80=9Chello=E2=80=9D to a few guests and gave us a huge smile, and gre=
eted us. I could see the surprise upon seeing that we had truly, actually =
made it. We invited him to our dinner, and after giving us a mini tour, al=
so showing me the plaque, we sat down and had a wonderful time. We went th=
e next day to visit The Roadster Factory and he gave us another tour, this =
time of the warehouse. You could see the pride as he showed us shelves of =
NOS parts, and the mini workshops where some of his parts (like the walnut =
shift knobs) were being made right there in the warehouse. Then on the las=
t night, Charles personally announced, that =E2=80=9Cone of my old friends =
from California=E2=80=9D had won the long distance award, and presented it =
to us (to the slight dismay of another attendee who thought that this year,=
he may have finally been the winner) My cars would not be in the conditio=
n they are today had it not been for Charles and his commitment to original=
ity. I never had to worry about ANYTHING I purchased from TRF. He always =
treated you like a friend, not a customer when I would see him.
I drove that very Spitfire to my family=E2=80=99s Christmas eave gathering =
in his memory.
Charles, it is with a heavy heart I say, you will truly be missed=E2=80=A6y=
ou will TRULY =E2=80=A6be missed
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<!DOCTYPE html>
<html><head>
<meta charset=3D"UTF-8">
</head><body><p>Sorry if this is a little winded, I don’t usually pos=
t things this long, but I felt the need…I'm sure many of you have=
similar stories.<br></p><p>    It was with shock, almost ut=
ter disbelief when I opened the first of a smattering emails on Christmas e=
ave on the team lists that Charles had passed away.  As I gasped, my w=
ife asked, “what’s wrong” and I had to click on the link =
in Randal’s email and view the newspaper article, and there it was in=
black and white.  Tears well up as I fondly remembered his huge smile=
when he saw us at the Coventry inn that evening, after many many years of =
talking to him, sometimes having a pint with him as well at Truimphests whe=
n he would come all the way out to the west coast, and telling him that =
220;some day” we would drive out to Armagh in my little 72 Spitfire, =
to attend  the Summer party (a truly special event if you have never g=
one). </p><p>    4 years ago we decided that it was the=
year, as we were not getting any younger, and could still make the 2500+ m=
iles in a tiny 40+ year old car just to get there.  Our trip ended up =
being a little longer, we stopped in Colorado to visit with my wife’s=
sister since it was on the way.  We stayed at the “Wigwam hotel=
s” on route 66 on the way out and ended up also going to Niagara fall=
s on the Canadian side (hey, we were going that far, why not make an event =
out of it).  We arrived in the evening on the first day before the par=
ty, and settled into out hotel in town.  We decided to go to the Coven=
try Inn (got lost trying to find it) to have dinner, since I wanted to see =
the plaque with my name on it I had purchased so many years prior, but figu=
red I would never really see it.  We were sitting at a little table, h=
ad not ordered dinner yet, but I did have a pint started and we saw Charles=
entering the restaurant.  He notices us after saying “helloR=
21; to a few guests and gave us a huge smile, and greeted us.  I could=
see the surprise upon seeing that we had truly, actually made it.  We=
invited him to our dinner, and after giving us a mini tour, also showing m=
e the plaque, we sat down and had a wonderful time.  We went the next =
day to visit The Roadster Factory and he gave us another tour, this time of=
the warehouse.  You could see the pride as he showed us shelves of NO=
S parts, and the mini workshops where some of his parts (like the walnut sh=
ift knobs) were being made right there in the warehouse.  Then on the =
last night, Charles personally announced, that “one of my old friends=
from California” had won the long distance award, and presented it t=
o us (to the slight dismay of another attendee who thought that this year, =
he may have finally been the winner)  My cars would not be in the cond=
ition they are today had it not been for Charles and his commitment to orig=
inality.  I never had to worry about ANYTHING I purchased from TRF.=
60; He always treated you like a friend, not a customer when I would see hi=
m.</p><p>I drove that very Spitfire to my family’s Christmas eave gat=
hering in his memory.</p><p>Charles, it is with a heavy heart I say, you wi=
ll truly be missed…you will TRULY …be missed</p></body></html>
=20
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_______________________________________________
Spitfires@autox.team.net
Archive: http://www.team.net/archive
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