SAID GOODBYE TO A FRIEND TODAY
Photo Courtesy of Peter
Vincent
JOHN ROBERTS WAS HIS REAL NAME BUT TO THE HOT ROD WORLD HE WAS AND WILL ALWAYS BE - "JAKE".
AT
ANY CAR EVENT THERE IS USUALLY A 90 / 10 FACTOR. THAT IS TO SAY 90
PERCENT OF THE CARS ARE FILLER AND TEN PERCENT ARE CARS YOU TAKE THE TIME
TO LOOK AT. FOR ME IT’S USUALLY ONES THAT ARE CLEAN, TRADITIONAL
AND JUST HAVE THAT "LOOK" ABOUT THEM.
WHILE WALKING AROUND AT THE STREET ROD NATIONALS ABOUT TEN OR SO YEARS AGO A FLATHEAD POWERED DOVE GRAY 39 TUDOR SAT QUIETLY AMONGST A GROUP OF BRIGHTLY COLORS STREET RODS. IT PULLED ME RIGHT OVER. IT WASN’T LONG BEFORE THIS GENTLE GIANT OF A MAN WITH AN ENGAGING SMILE LUMBERED UP HOLDING HANDS WITH THE LOVE OF HIS LIFE, LOU ANN. TURNED OUT HE WAS ALSO FROM NEW YORK, WELL MAKE THAT LONG ISLAND.
MY BROTHER AND I HAD JUST STARTED THIS "NON" HOT ROD CLUB CALLED THE ROLLING BONES AND WE WERE GOING TO HAVE AN END OF THE SEASON HOT ROD PICNIC SO I INVITED HIM TO COME. THE DAY OF OUR FIRST EVER ROLLING BONES PICNIC WAS COLD, WINDY, PARTY SUNNY EXCEPT FOR THE OCCASIONAL CLOUDS THAT SPIT SNOW AND DID I MENTION IT WAS OUTSIDE IN AN OPEN PAVILION. WE HAD LIMITED INVITATIONS TO ABOUT 35 EARLY STYLE HOT RODS AND DAMN IF THEY DIDN’T ALL SHOW UP EVEN THE GUY IN THE 39 TUDOR FROM LONG ISLAND .
OVER THE YEARS JAKE AND LOU ANN ALWAYS SHOWED UP. THEY WERE THERE FOR EVERY PICNIC, EVERY RELIABILITY RUN AND EVERY GARAGE NIGHT. THEY WERE THERE ON OUR FIRST ROLLING BONES TRIP TO CALIFORNIA AND OUR LAST ONE TO BONNEVILLE.
IT’S BEEN SAID THAT KEITH AND I DRIVE THE HELL OUT OF OUR HOT RODS, BUT THE TRUTH IS WE NEVER EVEN HELD A CANDLE TO JAKE AND LOU ANN. THEY WENT EVERYWHERE AND ANYWHERE THERE WAS A HOT ROD EVENT .
IN ALL THE YEARS THAT KEITH AND I HAVE KNOWN JAKE WE HAVE NEVER, NOT EVEN ONCE HEARD HIM UTTER A BAD WORD ABOUT ANYONE AND NEVER HAVE WE EVER HEARD ONE SAID ABOUT HIM.
I DON’T KNOW IF JAKE REALIZED HOW MUCH HE WAS LOVED AMONGST HIS FRIENDS AND FELLOW HOT RODDERS. I DO KNOW THAT WE ALWAYS LOOKED FORWARD TO HIS LITTLE BOY ON CHRISTMAS MORNING ATTITUDE WHEN HE CAME TO GARAGE NIGHT TO SEE WHAT KEITH AND I WERE BUILDING AND HIS PURE JOY AT THE START OF ANOTHER CROSS COUNTRY TRIP.
YES WE SAID GOODBYE TO A MAN TODAY. A MAN WHO ALWAYS BUILT YOU UP, PRAISED WHAT YOU WERE DOING , MADE YOU FEEL IMPORTANT WHILE DOWN PLAYING THE WICKED THREE WINDOW HE WAS BUILDING.
I KNOW THAT WE FEEL FORTUNATE TO HAVE CALLED JAKE OUR FRIEND AND I KNOW THAT ALL WHO HAVE EVER MET HIM WOULD SAY THE SAME. WE WILL BE LOOKING FOR AND WONDERING WHERE JAKE IS FOR A LONG TIME .
LIFE IS SO PRECIOUS AND IF YOU'RE LUCKY YOU WILL CROSS PATHS WITH PEOPLE THAT YOU ADMIRE. I PERSONALLY HAVE LOST A BROTHER WAY TO YOUNG AS HAS KEITH. GOING CROSS COUNTRY OR FLAT OUT ON THE SALT THEY RIDE SHOTGUN. JAKE WAS LIKE A BROTHER. GUESS OUR BROTHERS WILL HAVE TO FLIP FOR THE WINDOW SEAT.