Location: Victoria, BC. Canada
(172.218.182.205) | Well My Friend, you decided to take your 'last-run' in this place on Jan. 17th - 2026'.
Along with your Family and close friends, so many of your FMC brother's & sister's also felt that 'pang-in-the-heart' when they learned about your passing.
And with good reason: You were the Patriarch of this Clan. A man who'd go to any length to help someone, inside or outside his FMC family.
Thanks to you, the FMC Owners Group actually become 'a Family' to those of us who (like me) were stupid enough to let themselves get sucked into that yawning FMC vortex and bought one of these beasts.
Thank you Stephen for stepping-up to give so generously of your time to organize Rally's and keep the 'Club News' flowing on this Forum as you did for so long.
You made each and every one of us feel extraordinarily WELCOMED to this fraternity; regardless, of our stripes or where we came from.
You were the 'Glue' that held this Club together for so long.
On a personal note: thank you as well for sending me the CD compilation set of OEM FMC Part's & Service Manuals and most of all - your beloved Cummins work jacket you'd decided to part with when saw that I got infected with the Cummins bug.
I remember the day we first met over a dozen years back at your home in Gilroy (IIRC?), when you had 'the Grape' parked in front of your place as you were trying to sell it for a friend. You, Eric & Larry were in the midst of your D-Max/Allison swap on #1046 and I also got to stop by Eric's place and check out the progress as well. We had a great visit before my buddy and I then headed over to Dale's place in Santa Cruz to pick up #509 before we'd then stop at RVS (Morgan Hill) to get work done on it... before our calamitous trip back to Canada.
Since then I've had the great pleasure of meeting you a couple more times, once at a 'Rally on the River' in Oregon and also at buddy Jay's place near Seattle when he parted out his MCC coach.
Wish I could have seen more of you when I had the chance, if circumstances were different.
I also wish I could drive my coach more, and plan to do so in great part because you've me - inspired all of us - to DRIVE MORE!
After your D-Max swap you became a rabid-highway-monster, the consummate-consumer of miles in #1046 - gobbling-up America's highways & byways like you were on a mission, like there was no tomorrow. Whenever I'd give you a shout you'd just as likely be down South or back East as at your home in Cottage Grove.
After you, Eric & Larry, completed what was (to me) the first documented D-Max/Allison swap on an FMC (it's here in the OG Forum) you proceeded to put over 80,000 miles on the clock in just a few short years... before that wicked 'C-thing' crawled through the back door of your life and caught you unawares.
I trust where you are now there is much more clear pavement ahead of you and you'll have ample time and opportunity to throw some real-boost at that D-Max.
Rumour has it that Frank is out there waiting for you at the 'High-Clouds Speedway' and he wants you to drag him for bragging rights to the fastest FMC ever! Beware, I heard he's added twin-turbos to his rig.
Rest In Peace - Stephen.
Sending Love & Good Vibes from the Island!
Terry
#846
|
Dearest Stephen... Rest in Peace My Friend. Pls leave a few words for him...
