Did anyone know my father George Brown?

Hello all. My father, George Brown, of Solomon's Maryland (formerly of Dallas Texas) passed away this week. He was very into the racing scene, and I thought I might find someone out there who knew him who could maybe tell me stories about him racing, or about anything else. Additionally, his car is in pieces, of course, and any advice on how to sell it would be appreciated. Hopefully someone out there knows him, I am guessing that the kit car community is relatively small. Thank you. Jennifer Brown

Jennifer,

Sorry to hear of George dying. He posted on here a few days ago and made no mention of illness. What was the cause of death? We had read he was having some problem with the engine so it is possible that the engine is removed and in a shop but that is not a big problem as far as our cars are concerned. Do you have any more details?

Bruce

Jennifer
I'm very sorry to hear of GBs passing. He had been a member here on this forum for years and was an invaluable source of information for many of us who weren't as knowledgable as he was.
As for sale of his car, Henry at IM might be a good source or someone who was envious of your fathers car might be interested.
ed

Jennifer, I am so very sorry to hear the news of your father

Hi Bruce:

Sadly, he died suddenly of a heart attack on his sailboat (for those of you who don't know, he lived on a sailboat). But it is a relief that he died suddenly, all of you who know him know that he couldn't have stood it to be sick for a long time or anything like that. But my sister and I are still in shock.

We won't be having a funeral (George would have HATED the thought of people showing up to a funeral home and crying), but in several weeks or a month or so, we may have some kind of get together at a cafe or in a bar or restaraunt in Solomons, MD where he lived. If we do, I will post on this website to let everyone know.

I haven't taken a look at the car yet...maybe it won't be in pieces, but someone who he worked with told me that he thought he had the engine out working on it.

Jennifer,

I'm really sadden by the news of your fathers passing I really enjoyed his many post on the site and he will be greatly missed.
Dick Robinson

Wow.. This is truely a sad things to read about..

And i know i speak for everyone at IM when i say;
Sorry to hear of this passing, He'll Be truely missed :( And our cordorences (sp) to you and the rest of his family.

Yah he was a Wealth of info, a for how little i knew of him in person, a great guy that way too..


But yah, about the car, You can try Henry at IM (Intermeccanica, listed `makers' section on this site) He'll most likely be able to point you in the right direction on what to do with his car..

Kevin

Jennifer,
I am at a loss for words right now, and if you knew me, you would find that hard to believe. You have my deepest sympathy for the loss of your father. There are literally hundreds of members on this site and if you took a poll as to who was the most knowledgeable, your father would be in the top 3.....His car has been documented on this site during its entire build, and finding a buyer for it should be no problem right here on this site......
As more members learn of your loss, I'm sure you will hear some stories, so keep watching this site.....
Can you post the perticulars as to Funeral arrangements ETC.....
in the event some may want to send condolences.....
Thank you

Jennifer,

Dishearting to hear of your Father's passing.

I personnally "Chatted" to George when he was visiting CB Performance here in California.

George will be long remembered for his Vast Mechanical Knowledge as well as his Service Maintenance Tips that are Posted in the "Knowledge" section.

George answered questions and helped many people. He knew the T1 & T4 Engine inside/out and although I never viewed his speedster, I read about it. He designed his Speedster and the car to be truly a "One of a Kind" design. His car had many unique mechanical options/updates that George was responsible for.

He will be missed in the Speedsters Owners. Com Community.

Deepest Sympathy,

Jack Blake

Jennifer,

Sorry to hear of your fathers passing. I didn't know him personally either, but read many of his post hear. I hope you and the rest of the family is doing well. May the Lord comfort you all in this time.

God Bless you and your family.

Gabriel Quiroz

Jennifer,
I too wanted to express my sadness over the loss of your Father. Although I never met him in person he e-mailed me a few times about the cars when I first wanted to buy one. He had invited me down to visit and see his car and I am sorry I misssed meeting this very knowledgable and helpful man in person.
He will be greatly missed.
Tony Miller
Baltimore, MD

Let me add my condolences to what is about to become a very long list. This is so sad, your father was an inspiration to us all. What a fascinating person, he will be greatly missed.

Jennifer,

My condolences on your loss.

Your father's passing is truly a benchmark in time for this group.

His contributions to this forum are legendary and will continue to provide knowledge and inspiration for years to come.

The limited correspondence I had with him was invaluable regarding some decisions I made about this hobby.

God Bless.

Brian Bell.

Jennifer,

I would like to second the offer extended by Jim Ward. I have conversed with your father many times over the past year. Last weekend was the last time I had exchanged emails with him.

Your father was one of the most helpful and giving people I have come in contact with on this site.

Please call me anytime, 415-385-0995, I would love to talk to you. If I am unavailable when you call, please leave a voice mail and I will return your call as quickly as possible.

Jennifer:

This is certainly a shock and very sad news. I knew George from this website, and we corresponded quite a lot on Intermeccanica (IM) related stuff. I also had the pleasure of spending a lot of time with him last year at the Carlisle Speedster meet, where he was generous enough to let me drive his beautiful car.

He had strong views on air cooled engines, and never shied away from posting his opinions on this site. He was also a tremendous source of technical knowledge about all things Speedster related.

I will certainly miss him. I remember him saying to me - about the fact he had spent so much money on his Intermeccanica Speedster - that none of us know how many more beautiful, warm summers we will have, and that was the motivator for what he did.

Please accept my most sincere condolences.

Bob Carley
Ontario, Canada.
<<<<<<<<<<<<<<

GB will be greatly missed. He is the reason this site still exists.

A few years ago, when I was having trouble figuring out how to keep the site alive, he sent me 2 or 3 hundred dollars as a donation. He then mentioned that others would probably be willing to donate if they knew how. That's why we are still here today. Just 3 days ago when I noticed that his happy face icon was gone from his account, I added it back for another year and sent him an email thanking him for the donation a couple years back. He was always nice to talk to.

He always had an opinion, even if it was contrary to mine. That's what added to the spice around here. We will miss him. His car was legendary and I would love to see it go to someone on this site. Hopefully it will.

-=theron

Jennifer,

I am so sorry to hear of your loss.Your father will surely be missed by everyone who knew him.Brooks

Jennifer,

I would like to share with you directly, and in my own words, of your father's good heart, his giving nature, and the impact he had on my life recently. I had the pleasure of receiving several calls from your father during the past few months.

My name is Jim Ward. I can be reached at 405-330-8128 (h) or 405-615-7384. Please call or write, or just send a number. My wife, Gayla, is aware of this sad event and will ensure your call gets to me.

Jim Ward
Edmond, Oklahoma

jward3@cox.net I will send this via personal mail too.

We too were living on our sailboat when I began my IM. George was a source of inspiration to me, often reminding me that it forced us to live with only the things that were near and dear to our hearts. Though he questioned some of the build elements of my car, he was always enthusiastic about going with your heart and doing what made it feel glad. I, as all on the site, will mis honesty, his experience, his sarcasm and wit. My condolences to you and your family.

Jen,
Sorry to hear of your loss. As a Speedster family member George will be sadly missed.

Joe

I am so sorry to hear about your dad. I always enjoyed reading his posts and the knowledge he he had on engines. I made changes that he recomended and I was greatful for the vast knowlege he shared with us on this site. He will be missed.

Jennifer........

A mutual friend of your father's and I affectionately referred to your Dad as the "Vociferous One." We had more than a couple things in common......... I was hoping to meet up with him again at Carlisle PA later this month as we had last year.

As he lived his life, I guess he is going on ahead of the rest of us to blaze the trail. I hope we meet again.

Wow, what sad news. George Brown was truly one of the reasons many of us stuck and got into this collecting stuff. Last summer at Carlisle we were all having "farting" problems. Not us :) , the cars. due to bad gas and HIGH humidity. I had the engine lid open after looking at Georges car in the Intermeccanica tent. Over came George and asked if I had a screw driver and to start 'er up, will ya? There he was balancing my carbs with a smoke in his mouth. We'll miss him, please accept my sincere condolences.

Mike Cochrane and Josee Lapierre
Quebec City

Thank you all so much. These postings mean the world to me. Anyone who has met him personally, please, please post some little thing that you remember...that story about my dad adjusting carbs with a "smoke in his mouth" is absolutely precious to me.

One other thing...what is Carlisle, and when? I think I might want to come.

Jennifer Carlisle is in about 2 weeks and it's where we all meet. Alas, I will not be there but everyone else will. You probably should go it would mean alot to the members to be able to share some stories. This is the site info.

Also that car is a ONE OFF car meaning it is worth alot. You may want to contact Henry at Intermeccanica and see if he could consign it. Rumor had was that your dad was into almost 60K on that car.

www.speedsterowners.com/events/east/

Mike Cochrane

Dear Jennifer:

I want to offer my sincerest condolences on the loss of your father. George was a friend and an unwavering supporter of Intermeccanica and our products. He was also responsible for introducing numerous wonderful people into my life. Your father was a challenging individual to work for, but one who would reward you with great loyalty. George, through his two Intermeccanica projects with me, pushed our products to a level that few other customers ever have. On behalf of the Reisner family and the Intermeccanica crew I would like to offer you and your family our deepest sympathies at this difficult time. If there is any matter, Intermeccanica related or not, that I can assist you with please do not hesitate to contact me.

Henry Reisner
President, Intermeccanica Int. Inc.
604-872-4747 office
604-219-2586 mobil
604-924-2667 home

Jennifer:

Last year your dad drove his brand new Speedster from Solomons, MD, to Carlisle, PA, to attend the first ever gathering of members from this website in May. Carlisle Speedsters gathering is a weekend event, where all of us cyber people are able to get together to compare cars, drink a few drinks, kick tires, tell stories, and meet the faces that go with the online postings.

I'm sure there will be a few toasts to your dad at this year's event. I spent most of that Saturday with your Dad in Henry's Reisner's IM booth, and George was great. He took the time to talk to anyone who was interested in his car, and in Henry's products. He loved to talk about all the little special additions he had on his car, and was very proud of what he and Henry had built.

My last memory of him was seeing him get in his Speedster, fire up the engine, and drive away with the top down on a beautiful sunny Sunday morning.

Bob Carley
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Jennifer,
I share the sentiments of all above and those who will post below. Your father was an Icon on this site and I know we will all miss him. He was a great long distance teacher and a major contributor to my learning the art in adjust carbs. My eyes are moist with the joy of knowing your father.

dale

Jennifer:

"Carlisle" is the East Coast Kit Car and Import Meet at Carlisle, PA. It happens May 20 - 22 this year and a LOT of us will be attending from the East Coast. There is a side wib site with all the info, and it appears at the top of the main page for the SOC - just click on it. Bruce Stumpp is the main organizer for Speedsters at this event.

I will speak for everyone in this World-Wide community of Speedster Owners and say that we would be thrilled if you were to come, and we'll all make room at our table for you at the evening dinners.

I was talking with George on the phone a week or so ago and he mentioned what he was doing with his engine.....what's left is relatively minor to complete, so that shouldn't be a big deal. I'm sure that more than a couple of us here on the East Coast could help out if needed. Just let us know how we can assist.

I met George for the first time at Carlisle last year and, like Jerome, from George's forum posts I expected to meet a gruff old "Coot" but was surprised to find a warm, generous person who would give freely of his time and knowlege to any and all. I was also very much surprised to find that we shared passions for boats, motorcycles and sportscars, and both of us had been heavily involved with mainframe computers in our pasts. We had a LOT to talk about!!

I and many more on this forum will miss George a lot. My sincerest condolences to you and your family...

Gordon Nichols
One of the "Speedstah Guys" from Rhode Island

Jennifer,

Your father is a legend on this site. He was always informative and sometimes his tact fired some people up, me included.

From discussions on this site I had a preconcived notion of who he was in person. I had the pleasure of meeting and chatting with George last year at the Carlisle show and my opinion of him changed instantly.

I was expecting a gruff old coot, instead I found him to be a interesting guy who loves cars and always strived to learn, teach (give his opinion) and strive for perfection.

He will be missed and SOC will never be the same without him.

Jerome

Jennifer,
You can do a search on this site using the last listing at the bottom of the forums menu. I just typed in George Brown, All Forums and hit search. I got a huge amount of hits, all interesting. Many were your father talking about his current car, describing it as his "Last Hurrah". He has made a huge impact on all of us here.
Tony

mikeandjosee.com/MikesArt/BigDrawings/GeorgesSpeedy.jpg

This was a drawing I did of your dads car about a month ago.

Jennifer: Like you, your sister and every one else here, I am saddened and shocked to learn of your Dad's passing. Please accept my prayers and condolensces. I've been around some 3 yrs. or so and the first to help me with advice was George. Both on and off line. I was looking forward to see him again this month at Carlisle. He will be sorely missed. As others have advised, as far as his car goes, give Henry Reisner a call.
He is the creator of Georges Gem and I'm sure he will help you.

Bill Drayer

Jennifer,
I was on the phone with one of my UK customers who logged on here while were talking. He told me the news and I was floored when I heard it.

George and I were very different types and didn't see eye to eye very often and we bickered and quarreled a lot but I never lost my respect for him through any of it.

I sold him the set of 48mm Dellorto carbs he was using on the big engine in his car about 5 years ago but was never able to meet him in person just talked on the phone.

George will definately be missed on this site as well as a few others on the net where he contributed often before he retired.

Jenniffer,

I want to offer my sincerest condolences, with your father's dry sense of delivery was always unique. George helped quite a few members here with technical advice. He will be sincerely missed.

Alan Merklin

Jennifer,
George was certainly considered one of the "Masters" on this website. His advise always "right on". He will be missed. My sincerest condolences.

Greg Billesbach

Jennifer,
I belong to the California Look Forum over at www.cal-look.com/ this is a high performance vw beetle website. A few years back your father used to contribute on a very regular basis and was one of my personal favourite posters. His wealth of knowledge and search for perfection for all things automotive always astounded me.

My name is Tom Kettle and i'm 22 years old from England! I'd like to let you know that your father would have been known and respected by people like me all over the world.

RIP George, you will be missed.

Tom Kettle

P.S. Here is a link to a post about your fathers passing on the CLF: www.cal-look.com/forum/index.php?topic=3216.0;topicseen

Jennifer,

My sincerest condolences to you and your family. Your father's wealth of wit and knowledge will be missed.


Dan Palmquist

Jennifer, I'm sure this thread will go on and on and so it should. Your father was very
helpful to all around him. I especially enjoyed his colorful tales of his life experiences.
He really left his mark! Sorry for your loss. We'll miss him greatly.-bruce