HORBA sad news
04-16-2010, 04:23 AM
#21
PHIL
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I hope some old timers chime in on this because John Crouse deserves a lot of the credit for making a name for Don Aronow and this sport "back in the day".
Does anyone remember when John was the offshore editor for Powerboat Magazine? His articles where always insightful and took the reader deep inside of the sport. He was my favorite author.
John Crouse was also Don's publicist. He was the one that made Don larger than life. He was the one that wrote all those stories for the local papers and national magazines. It was John that noticed that Don had a cast on his arm and proclaimed (and then wrote) that it happened during a particularly rough race....but Don persevered....and probably won.
John was the only person that truly chronicled the sport as if it was major league baseball and kept stats. He was one of a kind and clearly, he left his mark on my life.
I wrote an article about John that was never published. I'll dust it off and post here. Below are some photos that John sent to me to go along with the ariticle.
Godspeed John....from a true fan
Does anyone remember when John was the offshore editor for Powerboat Magazine? His articles where always insightful and took the reader deep inside of the sport. He was my favorite author.
John Crouse was also Don's publicist. He was the one that made Don larger than life. He was the one that wrote all those stories for the local papers and national magazines. It was John that noticed that Don had a cast on his arm and proclaimed (and then wrote) that it happened during a particularly rough race....but Don persevered....and probably won.
John was the only person that truly chronicled the sport as if it was major league baseball and kept stats. He was one of a kind and clearly, he left his mark on my life.
I wrote an article about John that was never published. I'll dust it off and post here. Below are some photos that John sent to me to go along with the ariticle.
Godspeed John....from a true fan
You are so right Ron - he was missed after leaving Powerboat - Rest in Peace John !
Phil
04-16-2010, 07:21 AM
#23
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I knew him well...... Not only was he Don's publicist but he also did publicity work for me at Shadow and Conquest. The funny thing was that he might promote someone's product while attacking their customers' lifestyle or racing technique at the same time. He was truly ornery by nature in a totally unique way. His health had slipped in the past few years, but the fire still burned deeply.
His death marks another turning of the page............
John may you finally find peace and smooth seas........
T2x
His death marks another turning of the page............
John may you finally find peace and smooth seas........
T2x
Last edited by T2x; 04-16-2010 at 07:27 AM.
04-16-2010, 08:07 AM
#24
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R.I.P.
I was looking forward to his new book .
The knowledge we have lost about our sport with his passing will never be recovered.
I was looking forward to his new book .
The knowledge we have lost about our sport with his passing will never be recovered.
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Kept the Bullet and the condo and joined the cig 20 restoration club.
Kept the Bullet and the condo and joined the cig 20 restoration club.
04-16-2010, 08:23 AM
#25
Registered
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Just to give you an idea of who John really was, here is the last story I have from his life.
I spoke with him by phone just a few days before his passing and I asked him where he had been as I had tried reaching him over the weekend and couldn't get through.
His answer...."I was in jail!"
What????
Yes, he said, it seems that one of my dogs kept breaking out of the yard and running away. In the town he lived in, Inverness, Florida, they have a very strict dog ordinance and John had recieved three "tickets" for his dogs bad behaviour. Three tickets that he somehow had forgotten to pay. (John suffered with a mild case of Alzheimers)
One night he hears a loud knock on the door and he opens it, to find three of Inverness's finest police officers there to "bring him in". John tells them as only John could do... what they could do with the tickets and the judge and any other authority figures in the county.
79 years old and giving them a ration of sh** like you would not believe. So, they arrested him and put him in jail over the weekend until Monday, when they had a hearing and he was ordered to pay the fines and an additional fine for the disturbance he caused.
John had four dogs and loved them deeply and would go to any length to protect them. He felt as strongly about many other things too, one of which was offshore racing. We were very blessed to have someone who could write the history of such a great sport in such a detailed way.
May his soul finally rest in peace.
I spoke with him by phone just a few days before his passing and I asked him where he had been as I had tried reaching him over the weekend and couldn't get through.
His answer...."I was in jail!"
What????
Yes, he said, it seems that one of my dogs kept breaking out of the yard and running away. In the town he lived in, Inverness, Florida, they have a very strict dog ordinance and John had recieved three "tickets" for his dogs bad behaviour. Three tickets that he somehow had forgotten to pay. (John suffered with a mild case of Alzheimers)
One night he hears a loud knock on the door and he opens it, to find three of Inverness's finest police officers there to "bring him in". John tells them as only John could do... what they could do with the tickets and the judge and any other authority figures in the county.
79 years old and giving them a ration of sh** like you would not believe. So, they arrested him and put him in jail over the weekend until Monday, when they had a hearing and he was ordered to pay the fines and an additional fine for the disturbance he caused.
John had four dogs and loved them deeply and would go to any length to protect them. He felt as strongly about many other things too, one of which was offshore racing. We were very blessed to have someone who could write the history of such a great sport in such a detailed way.
May his soul finally rest in peace.
04-16-2010, 08:30 AM
#26
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God Bless
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P4-13 Team THE JERSEY BOYZ OFFSHORE POWERBOAT RACING, OPA/ SBI/APBA/UIM. PRESIDENT: THE JERSEY BOYZ , VICE-PRESIDENT: OPA RACING, THE GREAT SOUTH BAY RACING ASSOCIATION. WAZZUP RACING ENGINES
P4-13 Team THE JERSEY BOYZ OFFSHORE POWERBOAT RACING, OPA/ SBI/APBA/UIM. PRESIDENT: THE JERSEY BOYZ , VICE-PRESIDENT: OPA RACING, THE GREAT SOUTH BAY RACING ASSOCIATION. WAZZUP RACING ENGINES
04-16-2010, 11:44 AM
#28
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I am deeply saddened to hear of Johns passing. I had the privilege of knowing John as a friend for over 40 years. He was truly one of a kind. His work as a journalist and historian of offshore racing has not and may never be equaled.
You will be missed. Rest in peace my friend.
George
You will be missed. Rest in peace my friend.
George
Last edited by GJL; 04-16-2010 at 03:18 PM.
04-16-2010, 01:15 PM
#29
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Remember talking with John to many years ago at the Benihana GP in NJ. It was a treat for a new racer to listen to John tell stories about the Sport of Offshore Power Boat racing.
God Speed and Rest in Peace.
God Speed and Rest in Peace.
