[4dblnkldude]

I met Joe in 1997 through a mutual friend named Jerry. Joe was a Pontiac nut. We became friends and hit the junkyards, wrenched on our cars, had beers, and went street racing in my firebird. Joe had a 68 overhead cam 6 68 firebird. He had it running for a year or so and then took it apart to do some upgrades which I was gonna help him with. A short time later he bought a 68 four speed convertible, it was special car. Of course I offered to help but I don't really think he needed it, he was a mechanic at a local Pontiac dealership at that time. Then in 2000 his sister died in a tragic accident, it was very traumatic to him. He pretty much fell off the face of the earth, I would swing by his house with a sixer and I knew he was home a couple times and no one would answer the door. Around 2006 we reconnected and did a little work on the 68 ragtop which Joe swore was a Ram Air 2. Later we found out it was a Ram Air 1 which he had all the parts for it since it was bought as a complete car. Around 2009 we reconnected again and that 68 ragtop was returning to mother earth. He had the 68 ohc 6 car in the garage, I advised him to sell it to finance his other car, because that car needed justice and he did not have the means to do that. By this time his father was in bad health I believe. I would continue to swing by his house from time to time and actually hung out a couple times. By about 2013 he got a different job and I never saw him, then he called in late 2015 with a heating problem so I went over to help and got his furnace running for him. I swung by once this spring and that was it. I must have missed his fathers obituary in march or april I believe. He lived with his father and I 'm sure his death was rough on him. So a week ago I got a call about a bad furnace on the same road Joe lived on, I figured I'd swing by again. I was talking to the customer and mentioned I knew her neighbor up the road. Then she told me....on July 17th Joe killed himself...he was the last member of his immediate family and he was only 44. The 68 ragtop is not in the driveway. I hope Joe has a happy soul and I hope his car gets the top treatment.

[PAUL K]

That's a sad story. Sorry to hear about your friend Joe.

[Ram4king]

That's a sad story. It's such a shame when you feel like you have no one to turn to. I never heard about that car. It would be nice if it got in the right hands.

[Hikin Mike]

I'm sorry to hear about your friend, Joe.

[poncho-mike]

You never really know what someone is going through.

Around 1983, I met a guy right after I got out of college who was into Pontiacs. He was about ten years older than me and had worked as a mechanic at a Pontiac dealership from the mid-60s until the mid-70s. When the gas crisis hit, the American dealerships were hard hit, so he left to go to work as a mechanic for the Fire Department. He was a great guy, but his money was often tight, so we'd go to shows and I'd let him drive my cars. He also helped me work on my cars.

Ten years later (about 1992) I moved 2.5 hrs away to Raleigh. I would swing by and see my friend about every six months or so when I was in town visiting my family. Now long after I moved away, his daughter graduated high school and his wife asked for a divorce. He got screwed financially, then later quit his job when the fire department and garbage department combined operations. He refused to work on a garbage truck. He ended up working at a equipment dealership, which was another pay cut.

He called me up around the time the divorce was going on and wanted to sell me his car, a 64 post Lemans with a 67 428HO with a 66 tripower. I didn't need it, and I reallly didn't have anywhere to store it, but he said I could keep it in his carport. I bought it, thinking eventually he would end up buying it back when his money situation improved. The early Lemans's were not my cup of tea.

After about two years, he called and asked me to come get the Lemans because he was thinking about selling the house and moving to the country. I thought things were looking up for him since he had met a new lady and she had moved in with him. The demographics of the neighborhood were changing, and the keeping the house reminded him too much of his old life.

A few months later, he called my house a couple of times and left a message for me to call him. I was at the beach with my family and didn't get the message until I returned. When I called, his girlfriend told me he had committed suicide a week earlier. When I bought the car, he gave me a lot of spare Lemans parts with it. He had left a note instructing her to tell me to come get the rest of the stuff that went with the Lemans I bought. I really thought he would end up buying the car back some day, and I never thought he was the type of person who would consider suicide.

The rest of the story is that his wife had turned his daughter, their only child, against him after the divorce. She had married and had given birth their first grandchild, and wouldn't let him see the baby. He became very depressed, and ultimately took his own life.

I sometimes wonder if it would have made a difference if I had been there to answer the phone. You never really know what's going through someone's head, the best thing you can do is listen and offer support.

[Jim Zeek]

I started working on the water lines in that neighborhood in august. saw the car in the driveway and some of the guys I was working with said the guy killed himself and that there was another rare car in the garage. never saw anyone around. there was also a third gen firebird and pickup truck in the driveway. after a few weeks there was a "not for sale" sign on the car in the driveway. a few weeks later it was gone and we finished up working in the neighborhood. I was gonna call you don because I figured if there was a rare car nearby you would have known about it. I wonder who got them? I think the neighbor to the left of his driveway was getting his mail out of the box in front. maybe she knows something. fwiw.. 2 blocks down closer to olds blvd there was a car under a cover in a driveway and after studying it a few minutes I asked the woman if it was a 69 firebird. she said yes and looked stunned that I figured it out. I promptly asked if it was for sale and she said no it is not.

[The Boss]

Originally Posted by Ram4king

That's a sad story. It's such a shame when you feel like you have no one to turn to.

If you are lucky you may end up with a handful of people you could call any time of the day or night and their answer would be "Ok, where are you?" I said that line one Tuesday night while playing cards with a group of friends and added that I for sure had two of those. The woman across the table from me winked and said "You've got more than that."

I got home Sunday to the news that she had lost her fight with cancer while I was away - her memorial service was yesterday morning - her husband Jim of 38 years was absolutely inconsolable.

[poncho-mike]

I've known three people in my almost 60 years that have committed suicide. In all three cases, these were people you would have never thought would commit suicide in the first place.

In my buddy's case I mentioned above, after the fact I saw he was cleaning up loose ends. I thought he was serious about selling and moving to the country because Hispanics had bought the house across the street from him. Instead, he was getting his affairs in order.

It's been a number of years since my buddy committed suicide. I also wonder if he would have still gone through with it in today's world where everyone carries cell phones.

[Half-Inch Stud]

Might have met Joe a long time ago. Did he know Spotts?

Thread twist: Any of you remember that 73 SD-455 lawn ornament on that County Line road behind Cobham/BAE/Marconi/Tracor/AEL in Colmar PA whereas the owner's parent(s) was rather ornary about discussing the car? What was thaat story?

[hurryinhoosier62]

Originally Posted by 4dblnkldude

I met Joe in 1997 through a mutual friend named Jerry. Joe was a Pontiac nut. We became friends and hit the junkyards, wrenched on our cars, had beers, and went street racing in my firebird. Joe had a 68 overhead cam 6 68 firebird. He had it running for a year or so and then took it apart to do some upgrades which I was gonna help him with. A short time later he bought a 68 four speed convertible, it was special car. Of course I offered to help but I don't really think he needed it, he was a mechanic at a local Pontiac dealership at that time. Then in 2000 his sister died in a tragic accident, it was very traumatic to him. He pretty much fell off the face of the earth, I would swing by his house with a sixer and I knew he was home a couple times and no one would answer the door. Around 2006 we reconnected and did a little work on the 68 ragtop which Joe swore was a Ram Air 2. Later we found out it was a Ram Air 1 which he had all the parts for it since it was bought as a complete car. Around 2009 we reconnected again and that 68 ragtop was returning to mother earth. He had the 68 ohc 6 car in the garage, I advised him to sell it to finance his other car, because that car needed justice and he did not have the means to do that. By this time his father was in bad health I believe. I would continue to swing by his house from time to time and actually hung out a couple times. By about 2013 he got a different job and I never saw him, then he called in late 2015 with a heating problem so I went over to help and got his furnace running for him. I swung by once this spring and that was it. I must have missed his fathers obituary in march or april I believe. He lived with his father and I 'm sure his death was rough on him. So a week ago I got a call about a bad furnace on the same road Joe lived on, I figured I'd swing by again. I was talking to the customer and mentioned I knew her neighbor up the road. Then she told me....on July 17th Joe killed himself...he was the last member of his immediate family and he was only 44. The 68 ragtop is not in the driveway. I hope Joe has a happy soul and I hope his car gets the top treatment.

My younger 1st cousin committed suicide last December. What none of us(including his father) knew was he had been treated for clinical depression for years, but had stopped taking his meds shortly before taking his life. My condolences...

[4dblnkldude]

Jim, the car that was in the garage is the ohc 6 car. The blue formula was his sisters. He was a cool dude, we had a blast in the 90's. After his sister died he lost a ton of weight, almost skeletal, I guess he never got over it.

Mark, Spotts did offer to buy the car a couple times. I spoke to him about it when picking up some parts about 2009.

I probably have my years wrong. His Harley was the first one I ever rode, just a little sporty but I've had a couple since. Thanks for the kind words.

I suppose the car will pop up in a year or two for sale somewhere probably restored.

[4dblnkldude]

Jim, the car that was in the garage is the ohc 6 car. The blue formula was his sisters. He was a cool dude, we had a blast in the 90's. After his sister died he lost a ton of weight, almost skeletal, I guess he never got over it.

Mark, Spotts did offer to buy the car a couple times. I spoke to him about it when picking up some parts about 2009.

I probably have my years wrong. His Harley was the first one I ever rode, just a little sporty but I've had a couple since. Thanks for the kind words.

I suppose the car will pop up in a year or two for sale somewhere probably restored.

[66 TigerGold]

Sorry for your loss. I'm pretty sure I sold Firebird ragtop to Joe around 1997. The car I sold was a 68 Ram Air 1,4speed, Verdoro Green Firebird ragtop It was numbers matching and had quite a few options. I rebuilt the engine and trans. Still needed bodywork and paint. I had just bought a house and didn't have the finances to do the car justice. So,I put it up for sale. It was the one car I regret selling. Jim

[Jim Zeek]

Originally Posted by 4dblnkldude

I met Joe in 1997 through a mutual friend named Jerry.

Jerry Thompson?

[vidguy]

Very touching tale.. Sorry for the tragic loss of your friend...

[694.1]

Too bad it always seems like the decent, low key kinda guy that is easy to just hang out with and always has time to talk instead of.. well, you know what I mean.

[The Boss]

I saw an interview of an Iraqi war veteran talking about the high incidence of suicide of his fellow service members and he compared the aftermath they left to what he saw over there after a suicide bomber walked into a mosque and set off his vest. Families are left torn apart trying to sort out the aftermath. There is devastation you cannot imagine, pain & anguish, lives ripped apart by a single selfish act.

My brother-in-law Franko (ex at the time as his sister & I were divorced) committed suicide a number of years ago and left an enormous hole in that family that has never healed. It is ultimately a selfish act, choosing a permanent solution to a temporary problem. Choosing to satisfy yourself rather than be concerned with the wreckage you may leave behind and the pain you will cause.

[4dblnkldude]

Originally Posted by Jim Zeek

Jerry Thompson?

Yeah, Jerry Thompson. I haven't seen Jerry in a while. I heard he was on fb, which I am not. I met Jerry in 94. He is a funny dude!!Thanks for posting up your responses guys!!