I wanted to let all the older racers know that My Uncle Jon, Dad's co-founder of Flyer Race Boats died last night.
I have just found out this morning and will post the details when they come available.
Regards
Craig
I wanted to let all the older racers know that My Uncle Jon, Dad's co-founder of Flyer Race Boats died last night.
I have just found out this morning and will post the details when they come available.
Regards
Craig
- Craig "Dew"
Flyer Race Boats
RIP - John Stone
We invaded Stoney's workshop (and Furnal's house!) to fix crash damage in between Bay City and St. Louis in 1988. We literally rolled into town un-announced and John and Leigh, and their families dropped everything to help us out. What started as a bad week became a lot of fun, humor, and memories.
First, as I recall, was Beloit, 1970 Nationals. Beloit is a great place to race, but put 12 D Hydros out there with a full five minute gun start, the Rock River can become the Pacific Ocean. I watched, Jon run two heats, completely out of control. I watched figuring he'd go splat at any second. Seems he was the winner and though I won D Runabout that year, I was SO GLAD I didn't have a D Hydro as it scared me to watch it was such a "WILD RACE".
Second, 1977, Bakersfield Nationals. Stone shows up from NY with a 6-9 boat trailer, he gets out, he is Stock Outboard VP of APBA, and he started bitching about how hot and dry Bakerfield was. Sunday even, after the races, which was the last time I saw Jon, I remember the whole New York Crew sitting in folding chairs, asses wet, drinking beer. Everyone had pretty much cleared out of the pits and headed for the trophy banquet. I walked down and said, "What's the trouble?" They all kind of looked at me and said, "We love it here. We don't want to go home. This is a great lake......it is just beautiful."
36 years ago this month! Rest in peace, Jon!
I remember Jon as what was called "The Young Turks" band. They were set out to cut out what they considered the "dead wood" of the APBA. As part of the "Young Turks", they solicited my Dad "Baldy" Baldwin to help them and he did. Baldy became part of the APBA Council and was there when the Young Turks were elected. After I first was appointed the the PRO racing commission I got to meet Jon. I was impressed by the way he and the others did what they could to bring APBA out of the troubles of the 1970's. Rest in Peace Jon. God bless your family.
Here is a link to Jon's obituary:
http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/dem....efWluYbZ.dpbs
- Craig "Dew"
Flyer Race Boats
I wanted to share a couple of messages that were read at Jons' funeral.
It is with a very heavy heart that I learned of the passing of Jon Stone yesterday from my old dear friend Leigh Furnell.
We dueled in CSH & DSH from around 1962 to 1985 in days when New York (Region 2) was the hotbed of racing. Although we raced against several greats of those days we were the new kids in the early days and in a way grew up together and against each other in racing. We had a lot of very hot battles and we both learned from the beginning that you never backed off period, especially in the first turn. This was the law of hard driving including the sponson to sponson racing and many roostertail baths that made these duels so much fun. Jon went on to win his three nationals and I wish I had stayed on longer to make those wins tougher on him.
I will miss you dearly my friend but I promise I will see you again in the first turn.
Now you are with so many racing greats in Heaven.
Rest In Peace Jon
Your friend
Ted Abel
1CE and 7 CE
PS To those surviving racers.. get your heart checked regularly as there are way too many racers with heart conditions. I myself have had two heart attacks and I believe this is caused when our racing adrenilin stops. (as good a theory as any)
__________________________________________________ ____
We all knew Jon by different names; Jon, Stoney, Stone, Speed, OJ ( for odd Jobs), and for me, PJ – Peter Jon.
I met Jon in 1968 when I started racing boats. At that time, Jon was the best around. I was young, he was my idol – I just couldn’t tell him that.
Over the years we became friends, then best friends, and finally business partners. Jon and I traveled all over the US, South America, and Canada. Wherever we went we had great times which have turned into wonderful memories from boat racing memories to those we had working on movies.
If you ever were around Jon when he was working he was always so neat. When we were building boats and went to work, twenty minutes into the day it looked like I had been there for 10 hours all from all the sawdust I had covering me. Jon, on the other hand would at the end of the day take the air hose, knock off a little sawdust, comb his hair, pat his beard and head off looking like he was ready for a night on the town.
If you don’t know me from my boat racing days you might not know that I had a little anger management issues. Jon was my voice of reason and a calming influence. He was the fric to my frac. In all the years I knew Jon, I only saw him angry once --- it was at me! We were building a boat and Jon had started on it before I got to work. The night before I had told him I didn’t want to put the plywood side on till I took some measurements. Needless to say, I get to work – he had the plywood side all ready on. My anger management failed me. I got on Jon like a nagging wife for not doing what we had talked about the night before, probably a little longer than I should have. Jon grabbed a hold of the side of the plywood and ripped it right off the side of the boat. It scared me so bad, I stepped back with my mouth shut. I had never seen that before. Things were quiet for a short time, I look over, there’s Jon with the piece of plywood quietly putting it back on the boat. Only PJ could have ripped something off in such perfect condition, that he could put it right back on as if nothing had happened, in perfect shape, so was Jon without a hair out of place.
I was lucky to have Jon ask me to be his best man when Sandy and he were married. He loved Sandy, his daughter, Shelley, and his grandchildren.
In closing you’re lucky to have a few best friends in your life. I was really lucky as Jon was one of them, I am really going to miss him.
Leigh Furnal
2-N
- Craig "Dew"
Flyer Race BoatsRon Hill thanked for this post
Hi All,
Dan Schwartz will be laid to rest Saturday Oct 26th at 10 A.M.
Saint Rose of Lima Catholic Church
470 5th St. Monroe Ore.
There will be a remembrance gathering on Sunday Oct 27th 12-4pm
Hydroplane and Race boat Museum
5917 south 196th St. Kent WA 98032
this will be a pot luck affair with afternoon appetizers and Dan's favorite beverage of choice and wine for the ladies available.
feel free to call me ( F.B. or E-mail) with what you would like to bring.
Jean Dan and coco had so many friends in the Pacific northwest this will be a wonderful day to remember our great friend.
stop by and say Hi to Jean and Coco.
Thanks, Carl Lewis
I Just learn today That The father of Konny Motors has past after a long illness. The son Pavel Jr will carry on the business making outboards for racing and also parts for antique Konig Bikes. Steve
My brother, Russ Hill, Jr. has quietly left us today. Russ has battled prostrate cancer for 25 years. He was USC Norris Cancer Center longest cancer survivor. Here is a picture of my brother, before he went in the Army, 1953. His Neal Hydro powered by a "SIX STUD" Evinrude Racing "C". The boat's name "The Bellflower Flash". Russ was always so proud of this outfit.
Just letting everyone know, Funeral services for my grandpa, Russ Hill will be held on Sunday, January 5, at 2 pm at the Huntington Harbor Yacht Club. It's open for anyone to attend.
Last edited by Ron Hill; 12-21-2013 at 11:29 PM.
Sorry for your lost Ron...
- Craig "Dew"
Flyer Race BoatsRon Hill thanked for this post
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