Remembrance
Joe DeLuca and Linda Gronlund
September 11, 2001
Our region mourns the loss of two of our most active members in the tragic terrorist actions on September 11th. Linda Gronlund and Joseph DeLuca were traveling to San Francisco on United Airlines flight 93 when it was hijacked and subsequently crashed in Somerset County, Pennsylvania, killing all on board.
Linda was our region’s Flag Marshal. She had joined the Sports Car Club of America in June of 1980 while living in Sag Harbor, New York. She quickly became active in SCCA activities at the Bridgehampton Road Race Circuit near her hometown and at other tracks all over the northeast. Linda earned a law degree and worked for several automotive companies over the years. She was on a business trip to the west coast for her employer, BMW North America, when she was killed. Linda and Joe planned to travel and sightsee in northern California after Linda’s business purpose had been accomplished.
Joe DeLuca joined our club in January, 1980. He was most recently our region’s Board Secretary. Previously, and at various times over the years, Joe had been a Trustee, Assistant Regional Executive, Regional Executive, and newsletter editor. Initially a rallyist, Joe later was also an active participant in Solo II and road racing. He enjoyed driving his Morgan and was the current president of the local Morgan club in New Jersey. Joe was the creator of “The Adventures of Raymond the Cat,” a monthly cartoon feature in the Northern New Jersey Region’s newsletter, “Pole Position.” The cartoon is syndicated in many regional publications across the nation. Joe’s cartooning was a spotlighted article in the July 2001 issue of SCCA’s national publication, “SportsCar.” Joe was on vacation from Pfizer Corporation where he was a systems analyst.
Active members in SCCA know what these two wonderful individuals knew: SCCA membership brings a friendship, a camaraderie, which borders on being family. The Northern New Jersey Region has lost two very special members of our family. The entire SCCA organization feels this loss.
Walter J Huber
August 19, 1942 – April 8, 2017
“Dudley” “Boss”
Walter Huber passed away at home on Saturday, April 8th. He shared 74 years of love and faith with his family and community. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated on Wednesday, April 12th at 11 am at Our Lady of The Magnificat, Kinnelon, NJ. Burial to follow at the church Cemetery. Visiting hours will be held on Tuesday, April 11th from 3-7 pm at the church.
Walter grew up in Fort Lee and settled in Kinnelon over 30 years ago. He worked for Prentice Hall for many years, retiring as VP in his department. Recently, he and Nancy moved to Lincoln Park to downsize. Walt was a longtime member of Our Lady of The Magnificat Church and served with the Knights of Columbus Council #14493. A man of deep faith, he donated much of his time to the church and community. He served as a Eucharistic Minister and he drove much needed clothing and food to families who were less fortunate. He was also a longtime bus driver for children with special needs, a job which he loved. He was a member of the Sports Car Club of America (SCCA) and the MG Car Club. It was at one event that he met his wife Nancy. He was very active in the SCCA and very much enjoyed being a flagger and later becoming a steward. Walter always had a smile on his face and lived a very happy life. He was always available to lend a hand or impart some knowledge upon you, as he had so much of it. He loved a cold Shiner Bock and above everything else, spending time with his family. He was the proudest Opa to his five grandchildren and loved to brag about all of their accomplishments. He was a dear friend and loving husband and will be missed beyond words.
Walter is survived by his loving family, Nancy (nee Griffith) of 29 years; Albert Sica (Carolyn) and Tracy Sica; grandchildren Madalyn, Ryan and Zachary Sica and Cole and Tyler Klein and many more dear relatives and friends.
Vinny Blancuzzi “Yo!!!”
October 1, 1968 – April 21, 2005
Vinny Blancuzzi died on April 21st at Saint Clare’s Hospital in Dover. He was 36.
Vinny joined the SCCA in October of 1991. He was a member of the Berkeley Heights Rescue Squad and was already a big fan of automobile racing. His interest in auto racing had been sparked by his father at an early age. Years later, when he came to Lime Rock as a young man, he must have liked what he saw because he quickly became one of us and was embraced by our SCCA family.
In short order Vinny earned his Flagging and Communications license as well as his Emergency Services license. Regardless of the region conducting the event, it was a virtual certainty that Vinny would be there working a corner or doing his thing at the track’s medical station.
Vinny was a quiet guy. He was quiet about himself. Vinny was very quiet about himself. He was always most interested in the person with whom he was speaking. Vinny was more interested in you. Remembering back, it seems that whenever you greeted Vinny, his typical response was, “Hey! How’re you doing?” or “Hey! What’s happening?”
He never said, “Can you do this for me?” More often it was, “Can you help me with this?” Or, hearing that something needed doing, he would simply go and do it. He wouldn’t look to be thanked. Often, not knowing that Vinny had already taken care of things, when you went to do a task, you discovered that it had already been done.
But as serious as working corners is, Vinny also had time for a lighter side. A water balloon fight at a gathering of SCCA folks or the silliness of squirting Redi-Whip all over in the cab of the Region’s van well, each of these was possible with Vinny. He loved to have fun.
He was awarded the honor of NESCCA Worker of the Year in 2002 affirmation of the high regard which the Flagging & Communications community as well as the entire SCCA NorthEast Division held for his abilities and his dedication.
In 2004, when he became ill, he was examined at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in the city. He had to endure over a month of daily radiation treatments at Sloan-Kettering. Showing their love for him, his friends rose to the occasion and made themselves available to drive him to Manhattan and back to Berkeley Heights each day.
He not only loved the SCCA and the sport, but he also found his love in the SCCA. Robin & Vinny. Vinny & Robin. If you saw one, then you also saw the other. They attended our Region’s meetings together. At our Annual Dinner or at the Region’s Worker Party each January, they were there together. On the first Friday of the month labeling the newsletter at Robin’s Vinny was always there.
Vinny loved kids. And kids loved Vinny. Jessica and Rachel and Kenneth all loved him. All the tykes in our SCCA family loved Vinny because he would take the time to play and kid around with them.
Vinny is survived by his folks Diane and Vincent Sr., by his love Robin, by his two brothers Jeffrey and Stephen, and by his SCCA family of friends.
“Yo!”
RICHARD G. “SCOTTY” WRIGHT
January 17, 1921 – November 18, 2005
Scotty Wright, the oldest actively participating member of the Northern New Jersey Region of the Sports Car Club of America, died on Friday, November 18th at Leisure Park Assisted Living in Lakewood, New Jersey.
Scotty joined NNJR in March of 1965. He was an automotive mechanic for Motion Systems Corp., Eatontown, for many years before retiring. He was also the former owner and operator of Scotty & Curtis Car Service Garage, Short Hills, years ago. He was a member of Christiadelphian Church, Westfield. He lived in Maplewood before moving to Brick more than 10 years ago.
Born in Leven, Scotland, on January 17, 1921, Scotty served in His Majesty’s Royal Navy during World War II. He was predeceased by his wife, Vivian Decker Wright, in 1996. He leaves his constant daily companion, June Zeitler of Brick, NJ, and a nephew in Scotland.
Scotty was most recently the holder of a Senior Steward’s license with the SCCA. He could always be counted on to participate as a Steward of the Meeting at race events at Lime Rock and Pocono. He was a shrewd judge of right and wrong when sitting in a First Court at the races and had a keen sense of fairness in meting out penalty. For the 2005 season he participated at only one event. A work related injury kept him from participating for most of the season. In September he was admitted to Ocean Medical Center in Brick, NJ.
Scotty would have been recognized for his forty years of service to the SCCA at Northern New Jersey Region’s Annual Dinner scheduled for December 3rd. Instead, his service pin was placed on his lapel at the funeral home. Burial was at the Cold Spring Presbyterian Cemetery in Cold Spring, Cape May County, New Jersey.
Posted by the Asbury Park Press on 11/19/05
RICHARD G. WRIGHT, 84, of BRICK, died Friday, Nov. 18, He was an automotive mechanic for Motion Systems Corp., Eatontown, for many years before retiring. He was a World War II British Navy veteran. He was a member of the Sports Car Club of America, Northern New Jersey Region. He was also the former owner and operator of Scotty & Curtis Car Service Garage, Short Hills, years ago. He was a member of Christiadelphian Church, Westfield. Born in Leven, Scotland, he lived in Maplewood before moving to Brick more than 10 years ago.
He was predeceased by his wife, Vivian Decker Wright, in 1996. There are no known survivors.
Viewing hours will be from 7 to 9 p.m. Sunday, with a funeral service at 8 p.m., at the Weatherhead Young Funeral Home, 885 Mantoloking Road, Brick. Burial will take place at 11 a.m. Monday in Cold Spring Presbyterian Cemetery, Cold Spring.
Jack MacQuaide
1920- February 21, 2008
Jack MacQuaide passed away Thursday, February 21, 2008.
Jack was a member of Northern NJ Region for many years. He had joined the SCCA in 1960. He was our Regional Executive for several years in the mid-1960s and served a number of terms as a Trustee of the region. He also was the Activities Chair for NNJ for a number of years. In the 1970s Jack was the region’s pace car driver. He was one of the earliest recipients of the William Giltzow Award, NNJ’s highest award to a member. In more recent years he had volunteered as a Pit Lane worker at NNJ events as well as for the Central Florida Region.
He and his first wife, Gloria, would spend a portion of the winter in Daytona each year. When Jack retired they would spend an even greater portion of the year in Florida. Eventually they would leave New Jersey for their home in Daytona after Thanksgiving and return around the middle of May.
Gloria passed away a number of years back. Around that time Jack changed his region of record to Central Florida Region and became active there. However he kept his home in Little Falls and came north for the summer racing season each year. Jack held a National license in Race Control until the 2006 year.
Jack’s wife, Rosemary (nee Shannon) survives.
reprinted from the Record –
MacQUAIDE John H. Jack, 87, of Wayne, NJ formerly of Little Falls, NJ died Thursday, February 21, 2008 at Sunrise of Wayne, Wayne, NJ. Born in Livingston, NJ he resided there until moving to Little Falls in 1946 and then to Wayne in 2006. He also maintained a residence in Daytona Beach, Florida. He graduated West Orange High School and Newark College of Engineering. Mr. MacQuaide and his late father, Walter, were the owners of Merrell-MacQuaide Motors, a Dodge-Plymouth Dealership in Clifton, NJ for many years. He later worked at W.H.Peters Cadillac, Hackensack, NJ which became Schneider Cadillac and then Feldner Cadillac for thirty years receiving Cadillac’s highest achievement award The Diamond Crest and Ring Award. Mr. MacQuaide was very active in the Masons belonging to Little Falls Masonic Lodge, 263, the Salaam Shrine, Livingston, NJ, and a member of deMolay, Livingston, NJ he became a 33rd Degree Mason on August 27, 1996. He also was a member of the Daytona Beach Masonic Lodge. He is predeceased by his parents, Walter F. MacQuaide, Sr. in 1949 and Mary E. (nee Horsburgh) MacQuaide in 1988 and his brother, Walter F. MacQuaide, Jr. in 1944. He is survived by his wife, Rosemary C. (nee Shannon) MacQuaide of Wyckoff, NJ; and a cousin, Thomas Horsburgh of West Milford, NJ. Funeral Services are 10:00 am Monday at Bizub-Parker Funeral Home, 47 Main Street, Little Falls, NJ and 11:00 am at the Church of St. Elizabeth, 700 Wyckoff Avenue, Wyckoff, NJ 07481. Interment Hanover Cemetery, East Hanover, NJ. Visiting hours Sunday 1:00 pm – 5:00 pm. Masonic Services 4:00 pm Sunday. Memorial Contributions may be made to Gift of Life, c/o Paterson Rotary, 100 Hamilton Plaza, Paterson, NJ 07505. Please visit www.bizub.com for online condolences and driving directions
Brian Holtz
September 13, 2010
Sad news that NeDiv stalwart and officer Brian Holtz passed away. Brian was active as a Steward as well as a Divisional Administrator and a past Director among wearer of many other hats. He will be utterly missed. Northern New Jersey Region joins the rest of the division as well as the national office in sending condolences to Brian’s family and friends.
Brian E. Holtz, 55, of Bethlehem, passed away Monday, September 13, 2010 in Lehigh Valley Hospital-Muhlenberg. He and his wife Ellen F. (Fogg) Holtz were married for 25 years in February.
Born in Bethesda, MD, he was the son of Barbara (Stone) Holtz of Potomac, MD and the late John “Jack” Holtz. Brian was a graduate of Villanova University. He was a Mechanical Engineer and Project Manager at Air Products and was proud of his work for the past 31 years. Brian raced a Mazda RX-3 for 15 years. He was a member of the Sports Car Club of America since 1975 and served as a former Philadelphia Region Executive, Race Steward and Tech Chief. Brian was also a member of the SCCA Board of Directors for two terms, Competition Committee, past president of the Northeast Division and Chairman of the Pro Racing Board.
Survivors: wife; mother; son, Joseph B. Holtz and his wife Kimberly of Horsham; sisters, Jane Holtz Cranska and her husband Allen of Glenwood, MD, and Karen Muttimer and her husband Paul of Ashburn, VA.
Services: Calling hours will be Thursday, Sept. 16, from 11 AM until 1 PM with funeral services to follow at 1 PM in the Long Funeral Home, 500 Linden St, Bethlehem. Online condolences may be made at www.longfuneralhome.com
Contributions: Autism Society, 4340 East-West Highway, Suite 350, Bethesda, MD 20814 or American Diabetes Association, PO Box 11454, Alexandria, VA 22312.
Sharon Ann Schwertfeger Burke
July 2, 1963 – February 26, 2011
Sharon A. Burke (nee Schwertfeger) of Califon, NJ passed away suddenly, at St. Clair’s Dover General Hospital, on February 26, 2011, at the age of 47.
A memorial visitation will be held on Sunday, March 13th at Paul Ippolito Berkeley Memorial Home 646 Springfield Ave., Berkeley Heights, NJ. Family and friends are invited from 11am to 2pm with a service at 1 pm. A reception to celebrate Sharon’s life will immediately follow. For more information or to send condolences please visit www.ippolitofuneralhomes.com.
Sharon is survived by her loving husband Jeffrey, precious son Kenneth, beloved mother Barbara, dear brothers Billy and Danny Schwertfeger. Preceded in death are her late father William and sister Barbie.
Sharon was born in Summit, NJ and lived in Gillette and New Providence before moving to Califon 16 years ago. She was a graduate of New Providence HS and Robert Walsh Business School. Sharon also graduated with honors from The College of St. Elizabeth, with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration. She was currently enrolled at Norwich University studying for her MBA. Sharon was most recently employed with Clinsys Inc. in Bedminster , NJ , as a Clinical Data Manager.
Sharon was a member of the Sports Car Club of America for 25 years, where she served on the Board of Directors for the Northern NJ Region. She has been a nationally licensed technical inspector and holds a regional license in emergency services. She was named the North East SCCA Worker of the Year in 1996. She was also a champion auto-crosser where she won dozens of races with her 1984 Camaro, including 3 invitation only events.
She enjoyed volunteering at Tabby’s Place, a cat shelter in Hunterdon County . Sharon helped with Habitat for Humanity projects, and then transferred those skills to help build the pavilion at Memorial Park in Lebanon Twp. She was past president of the Lebanon Twp. PTA and was a founding member of the Lebanon Twp. Educational Foundation. Sharon participated in many Avon Breast Cancer walks with her team of friends.
Donations may be made in Sharon’s memory to: Kenneth’s 429 College Fund, Tabby’s Place 1100 US Highway, Ringoes, NJ 08551, or the National Breast Cancer Foundation 2600 Network Blvd., Suite 300, Frisco, TX.
Sharon is greatly loved and missed by many, especially by her son Kenneth and husband Jeff.
Paul Ippolito Berkeley Memorial
646 Springfield Avenue
Berkeley Heights, NJ 07922
(908) 277-6446
Please donate to:
Tabby’s Place in Ringoes.
This is where Sharon volunteered.
Jan Poor
October 25, 1936 – February, 22, 2012
Janice “Jan” Poor, 75, of East Granby, beloved wife of James “Jim” C. Poor, passed away Wednesday (February, 22, 2012) after a brief illness. Daughter of the late Dr. Luther Glynne Price and Isabelle (Pugg) Price, Jan was born on October 25, 1936 in Fresno, CA. She briefly attended college at Fresno State University before moving to New England during the mid 1950’s. Originally settling in Wallingford, Jan and Jim moved to Hartford in 1967 and finally to East Granby, their home for the past 43 years. One of her greatest passions was car racing, and she was an active member of SCCA (Sports Car Club of America) and a Past President of the Bonnet and Boot Sports Car Club in Wallingford. Jan and Jim shared many adventures together and enjoyed socializing with their friends. In her leisure time, Jan enjoyed golfing at Copper Hill Golf Club in East Granby, league bowling in Simsbury, and watching sports – especially the New York Giants. She was a strong and independent woman who faced challenges with courage and optimism and never gave up. Her loving and determined spirit is carried on in her daughter, Rita Daves of Windsor and three sons, Rick Rome of Enfield, Roger Rome of East Granby, and Randy Rome and his wife Kelly of Granby. She also leaves nine adored grandchildren, Tim and Jenna Daves and Melissa, Laura, Danielle, Joshua, Leah, Tyler, and Bryan Rome; a great-granddaughter, Chevelle Rome; and her canine companion, Benji. Jan was predeceased by her son, Jeffrey Poor, a brother, Tom Price, and a sister, Dorothy Blank.
Family and friends may call on Saturday February 25 from 2 to 4 p.m. at Carmon Funeral Home, 807 Bloomfield Avenue in Windsor, a memorial service will begin at 4 p.m. in the funeral home chapel. Burial will be private and in lieu of flowers, please honor Jan by making a donation to the Association of Hole in the Wall Camps, 228 Saugatuck Ave., Westport, CT 06880. Please visit www. carmonfuneralhome.com to send notes of condolence and view her memorial tribute.
Jeff Bower
June 21, 2013
Jeff passed away on June 21, 2013 at Lime Rock Park during his regional race. Jeff was 70. Jeff was a long time member joining SCCA in 1990. He was an active driver as well as crew member.
Obit:
Jeffrey L. Bower was killed in a Formula V racing accident at Lime Rock Park in Salisbury, Conn., on Friday, June 21, 2013.
Automobile racing had been his lifelong passion and avocation. He had competed in races throughout the northeastern U.S., notably at Lime Rock, Conn.; Watkins Glen, N.Y.; and Pocono Raceway, Pa.
Mr. Bower, a resident of Chester, N.Y., was 70 years old. He was plant manager for Belwood Aromatics in Ringwood, N.J.
Mr. Bower was born in Scranton, Pennsylvania, the son of Eleanor Cornell Bower and Dr. Ernest Z. Bower Jr. He spent his childhood in Clarks Summit, Pennsylvania, and was a graduate of Abington Heights High School, Keystone Junior College and earned an engineering degree at Farleigh Dickinson University.
He is survived by his older brother, Ernest Z. Bower III of Lilburn, Ga.; and younger sister, Lisa Cornell Bower of San Francisco; he was the father of Jeffrey L. Bower Jr., Janette Lisa Bower and Cindi Williams Sinaird; and the grandfather of Pyper Dillow-Bower, Perle Victoria James and Noah Herndon.
Funeral services will be private and at the convenience of the family. Memorial contributions may be made to a worthy cause dear to the hearts of the donors.