I haven't been on here much the last couple of days as I found out late Sunday night that a good friend of mine from one of the other car boards I frequent had passed away.
Al had worked in the plant at GM Oshawa for 30 years and had just retired this spring. I had some spirited debates with Al as we were often at opposite ends of the political spectrum (he was a strong CAW supporter but also a very educated and wordly kind of guy) but it was always civil and there were never any hard feelings and the evening usually ended with hoisting a beer. One thing we did share was our passion for Camaros (we both have 4th gens) and everything GM. Al was a great source of info on the upcoming 5th gen, the progress of the plant change over, etc. He also got me some of those small square GM emblems that adorn the lower front fenders of all the current models. I may put them on the Laurentian. I think they look cool and remind of the era when GM truly meant: "The Mark of Excellence". Al was extremely proud of the fact that Oshawa consistently rated amongst the top plants in North America for quality. It bodes well for the new Camaro.
He retired at the end of May and was doing what he wanted to and going on road trips with his wife such as Virginia Beach. He even took down his ATV so that he could do the beach. I was totally blown away when I heard of his passing after seven weeks of battling cancer but at least he went quick and didn't linger on for a couple of years and lose the battle while losing his quality of life. He was a great husband, father and friend and he will be missed. The line up to see him at the service yesterday was almost out the door so it shows what people thought of him.
I was hoping Al would stay at GM to help build my new Camaro and arrange for me to see it being built, which he graciously offered to do, but when he decided to retire and spend the time with his family and doing things he enjoyed, everyone supported that decision. It is so sad that he was only able to enjoy a few months of it.
He was diagnosed with esophagus cancer at the end of July and only received his first round of chemo 2 weeks ago before they realized that it was all the way down to his liver. I guess he wanted no one to know what he was going through. Only 7 short weeks from detection to strip a man of his life. He was only 52.
I guess all of this is a long winded way of saying life can be short and brutally unfair, so make sure you get out and enjoy it while you can and don't let stupid things and silly arguments get in the way of that.
-- Edited by Astro Jet at 13:37, 2008-09-23
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Hillar
1970 LS4 (eventually an LS5) Laurentian 2dr hdtp -and a bunch of other muscle cars...
There really is nothing so important that we ever need to argue about it, that is so true.
I also disagree with people very often, but at the ripe old age of 50 I have finally come to realize that it really doesn't matter if I'm right or wrong.
What matters most is that I am prepared to face my Creator on that day, whenever He has decided it will be.
I am sorry to hear of your loss. It is so tough losing a friend.
I have been to 9 of the 10 funerals that have takienlace for my classmates from my school days. The first 2 died the day before my 19th birthday and it took a few more of them being gone for me to finally come to grips with the fact that no matter how invincible I think I am, I still am a fragile human being.
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1966 Strato Chief 2 door, 427 4 speed, 45,000 original miles
1966 Grande Parisienne, 396 1 of 23 factory air cars
My condolences Hillar. And we should all take your words to heart. I have a co-worker who has had to deal with the loss of 2 brothers in under a month. Last month he travelled to one brother's funeral in Illinois and just today a funeral here for the second brother who passed on Saturday. We need to make the most of the time we have. Seize the day and live life to it's fullest!
Sorry to here about you friend . I'm just glad that men don't hold grudges like the other half or we would not have any friend . Guys can get in a dispute about some thing and have a drink 10 minutes later the ladies will lose a good friend over nothing
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1957 Pathfinder deluxe 4 door wagon 1961 Pontiac Parisienne bubble top Traded for a Harley sorry guys.
Sorry to hear of your loss Hillar...sadly I know all too well what you're going through.. Prayers and condolences to Al's family and friends..
And 57Poncho above is right.. For many of us guys, our best friends are also our boyhood pals but it seems many women's friends are often someone they've known only for a short time?.
Life is indeed short and we always need to make the most of it while we can.. As the song goes...these are the good old days!.
-- Edited by Ghost Post at 08:14, 2008-09-24
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I like real cars best...especially the REAL real ones! ----------------------------------------------------------------
Thank you, for sharing the passing of Al It is a grim reminder, of here today, gone tomorrow.. Carl1 was correct in mentioning, how important it is, to be spiritually ready.. As a old guy of 59, I will remind you younger Pups, that the ONLY thing that is important, as we get older, is the relationships of friends and loved ones.. That is all, you will remember... "THE TRUE TEST OF A GENTLEMAN, IS HOW HE TREATS THOSE, WHO CAN BE OF NO SERVICE TO HIM" God Bless Al Carl2
Sorry to hear that Hllar. I lost both of my parents at age 60 (lung cancer). Dad was already paralyzed from a brain anurism at 44 and a cancer survivor (colon cancer at 30). From seeing him scrimp and save for retirement and never make it, it really changed my outlook on life. I don't blow money ,but I do tend to live for today. You never know what's around the corner.
My Condolences to you. Remember this old saying " No one ever laid on their death bed saying, Gee I wish I'd spent more time at the office" At 53 I realize this more than ever. Get out and enjoy your time while you still can.
Was talking to one of our techs today. He was stressed because his best friend was in surgery today. Apparently he was in a minor car accident and they decided to do an MRI just to be safe. No injuries from the crash, but they found friggin cancer on one kidney! Talk about fate! He was having it removed today. Oh yeah-he's only 37!
I hear there is going to be an explosion in cancer cases-especially in younger people due to all the cell phone use. It's not good for teens who are still growing to expose high doses of 1ghz radio waves to their cells...
Thanks for all the kind words guys. I think we are all on the same page. The Grim Reaper can come visit unexpectedly at any time so don't let him cheat you out of doing the things in life that are really important (or should be) to you.
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Hillar
1970 LS4 (eventually an LS5) Laurentian 2dr hdtp -and a bunch of other muscle cars...
Sorry to hear about your friend. My Condolences for you.
I lost a close friend in '04 to Cancer, Kept it hidden from us all, then he wound up in the Hospital, and a week later, the Hospice. A week after that he was gone. No one found out exactly how long he knew about it, but it didn't really matter cause there wasn't anything we could've done for him, it was obviously taking him..
Again, My Thought go out for you.
Ken
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1960 Pontiac Strato Chief Safari 1960 Laurentian Safari 1960 Laurentian 4door(scrapped) 2001 Grand Am Traded on a '96 Suburban 2WD 2002 Hyundai Accent(SOLD) 1968 Grand Parisienne Scrapped and SOLD
Carl2