All Members Must Read This- Tone

[MDMason]

Any update on the cause of Tones passing?

[Leah]

I'm so hurt by this news I can't find words to express it. Tone was, as everyone here has already said, sort of the be-all and end-all of VX knowledge and lore. When he and his family were passing through Florida near our house, he took the time to call me and find out if they were close enough for us to meet. Sadly, I was unable to get away and missed my big chance.

To Lisa and other family members and friends, I know you probably have your own beliefs about the future and I sincerely hope they bring you comfort. I want to share my beliefs with you because they bring me comfort and maybe they will help you too.

The Bible holds out the promise of a future earth where death will be no more, where mourning and outcry and pain will be things of the distant past, and no one will ever be sick or die again. But there is even more. A resurrection of those who died will occur and we will get to spend eternity in a paradise earth with those we loved and lost, all of us growing more healthy and youthful every day.

When God made Adam and Eve, he told them to be fruitful and multiply, fill the earth and subdue it. Essentially, they were to turn the entire earth into an extension of the paradise Eden, which God gave them as a home. Just because Adam and Eve failed to live up to their end of the bargain does not mean that God has changed his mind about a happy, united family inhabiting a paradise earth.

Tone, I look forward to meeting you in Paradise. For you, it feel like but an instant since you closed your eyes in death. For us, it will be one minute dragging into the next. But, until the day you open your eyes again, you will be sorely missed.

Hugs to all.

[Moncha]

Now that Moab and other events are over... I still have "Memory Stickers" available. If you are interested, please email me your name and address and I'll get one out to you. If you want more than one, I will do a max of 2 right now. Once the demand wains, Ill see what I can do for those who want more.

[Grant Eaton]

I haven't been on this board in about 3-4 years, but I still own my VX... tonight I learned the news of Tone's passing and I'm so sorry for his family and all who loved him. I just saw that note on his Web site when I emailed him tonight about my burned-out HID light. I had been a 'fan' of his since 1999 back when I started reading vmag forums anticipating buying a VX.

I thought I would just mention that I thought he was a nice guy when he came to Seattle to visit his mother (and he stayed in West Seattle, where I live) around 2002/2003. He rode in my VehiCROSS and we had a nice Northwest Reunion with about 9 other cars. I have a few photos of that event, unfortunately, I think he shied away from being in the one with people. It meant a lot to everyone to meet this person who we regarded as probably the most knowledgeable in the world about this rare vehicle. I am sorry for his family's loss, and ours. He is missed.

[AndyC]

I too haven't been on this board much and was shocked to see that I had missed this thread. My sincere thought to his family. It's tough hearing of the passing of a fellow club member. I personally never met him but I felt like I knew him from messaging on this site, years back when i purchased my VX.

[Anita]

Andy, Grant...

So good to see you again! Hope all is well with you.

[Moncha]

Hello from me as well! Don't be such strangers!

[CrnCnn]

Now that Moab and other events are over... I still have "Memory Stickers" available. If you are interested, please email me your name and address and I'll get one out to you. If you want more than one, I will do a max of 2 right now. Once the demand wains, Ill see what I can do for those who want more.

Did these ever get mailed? I also havent recieved the Tshirts from Ryan.

[Moncha]

As of yet, No.. I've been so busy with taking care of my folks I've not done it.. I promise I will though.

[vt_maverick]

I hope no one thinks this is an insensitive question, but I know it's probably on the minds of many here. Didn't want to ask for a good while out of respect, but now seems like it would be okay.

Does the family have plans to sell any of the stuff he may have had left in his garage?

Again, don't mean to offend the family or anyone else here.

[LittleBeast]

I also haven't received the Tshirts from Ryan.

AH, I am sorry man. Tonight I will go to the post office tonight, sorry.

[Jay Dunford]

I hope no one thinks this is an insensitive question, but I know it's probably on the minds of many here. Didn't want to ask for a good while out of respect, but now seems like it would be okay.

Does the family have plans to sell any of the stuff he may have had left in his garage?

Again, don't mean to offend the family or anyone else here.

I helped go through his stuff with the family and he really didn't have anything sitting in stock. He pretty much took the orders and fabbed up whatever was needed then. Being a small business there really wasn't enough capital to have a large stockpile of parts ready. I found a raw 2" receiver that I tried to get made into a hitch kit, but could never get the welder nailed down. I took it to Moab this year to give to Gill since he had ordered and paid for one, but never received it. I do have a couple of the interceptor tranmission shift kits that look new, but don't really know the provenance of them. I figured I just hang on to them in case there was anyone that had problems with one in the future and I could help out.

[VX crazy]

What a rough year this has been! I just was reading over everything and saw that I never got to post what I wanted......Jay was supposed to get one of Tones dogs and I got the other one, but it turned out Jay brought her to my house the next day because she wasnt getting along with his dog. I just had shoulder surgery and couldnt take care of them so my wonderful parents took them and fell in love with them. Mom was bit by one of his dogs when she was scared while we were in Moab this year, she doesnt have a spleen and went into septic shock pretty quick. She was on life support when I had to abruptly leave Moab and fly home, and as a results she had to have both legs amputated. She is home and we are all happy she is alive. About a month after she went home, dad when into heart failure. He is awaiting a heart transplant. So I COULD have lost everyone this year!

I met Tone (and Jay too) back in 2002 and he taught me everything I know about the VX, I actually watched his dog at the time when he went out to the LAVX meet, we were friends at that time. In 2003 we started seeing each other as more than friends, took some breaks over the many years, some longer than others, but we always managed to find our way back to each other. So many fun times to mention. I remember saying I was never going to alter the VX, it must not have been 6 mo later that I was taking my sawzall to the front fenders to make room for the tires! Thanks to Tone taht VX had 110k miles and in the end still ran like a champ (which is why it is in my parents garage!) He HATED it when I would confirm what he would tell me about my VX with Jay, LOL, I just had to be SURE! He was there for me back in October when I totalled my first VX and thought the world was surely ending because of it! HE understood it was much more than just a vehicle to me, because most of us on here feel the same way about our rides. He made the current VX the clone of the other, and knowing that was one of the last things he did, I may never be able to get rid of it, after he put so much into it. He taught me so much, like live IN today, not yesterday or tomorrow! I miss him now when I think of how much help he would be to me AND my family during these times.

Thanks to everyones comments! Jay, Scott, Laura, Mark, Biju, George and Cary, Ryan, Gil and Cece, Scott in Dallas, Anita, Everyone, for continued support! Love you all! I thought when I had to leave Moab in May that I would never be able to go back because it was so painful, because of memories of Tone and because of what happened to mom while I was there, but I will be back! And with the VX when I have another daily driver.

[Ldub]

Thanks Lisa, it was nice to read about the "Tone moments", except for the detours life has thrown you this year...that wasn't such a fun read...

Here's hoping that the remainder of 09', and the rest of your life, continues to get better & better...

Sending buckets full of good VIBES your way...

[Scott Harness]

Lisa! thanks for letting us know your okay. Sounds like you're doing better.
Sending much LOVE and CHI