Re: [Chrysler300] Member's passing

["Dave Schwandt" <finsruskw@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Sad news indeed,

I will never forget the mad scramble He and Carolyn and I made to locate 
Gil's shop after getting separated from the convoy headed out that way at 
Gil and Carol's FL meet.  I have much  of it on tape including a pow-wow 
along side the road with Don on just what our next move should be after we 
were both totally  off the beaten path.

I too, always enjoyed  visiting with Don. He was, as Gil stated, "one of a 
kind". But then I guess all us MoPar folks are kinda like that, one way or 
another!

Don, You will be missed.

Dave & Carolyn Schwandt

----- Original Message ----- 
From: <lettercars@xxxxxxx>
To: <hurst300@xxxxxxxxxx>; <Chrysler300@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>; 
<l-forwardlook@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Sunday, August 15, 2010 1:04 PM
Subject: Re: [Chrysler300] Member's passing


> Carol and I were very sorry to hear of Don's death----and in such a tragic
> way.  We can only imagine the effect on his little grand daughter.   Our
> condolences go out to Kathy and the entire Rook family.
> Don was indeed one of a kind.  We remember attending one of his annual
> Father's Day car shows at his farm in Pleasant Valley, PA.  Only Mopars 
> and
> Packards were invited, as I recall.  Generally several hundred cars showed
> up.  He also hosted the 16th annual 300 Club Spring Meet there in  1986. 
> He
> had two HUGE steel buildings full of various Chrysler 300s, other  Mopars,
> and of course, Packards.  I believe even a couple of Grahams.   At any 
> rate,
> lots of fun to wander through and just look.  He also had a  "junkyard" 
> some
> distance away that included a considerable number of manual  shift '61 and
> '62 Chryslers.  I do not think too many cars from that yard  made the long
> trip to Arkansas when they moved.  I don't know for sure, but  I believe 
> the
> vast majority of his collection did, however.
> In Mena, AR, he and Kathy hosted two more meets, Spring of '88 and Spring
> of '97.  (He seems to have avoided doing the Fall meets----didn't much 
> care
> for the judging activity, as I recall!)  We did get a chance to see the 
> new
> completed Rook home/B&B and the remaining cars on our trip thru there to
> the  Oklahoma meet in 2006.  It was still a lot of fun to look at the cars
> and  parts----all of which were always for sale, I think.  Carol was 
> treated
> by Don to a tour of the property on an ATV which was  great  fun.
>             We are happy and fortunate to have many good memories  of our
> various experiences with Don, and wish his family all the  best.
> Gil Cunningham
> Tallahassee, FL
>
>
> In a message dated 8/12/2010 6:58:08 P.M. Eastern Daylight Time,
> hurst300@xxxxxxxxxx writes:
>
> Sorry to  report, Longtime 300 Club member,  Don Rook has died.
> He died Tuesday  afternoon, 8/10/10, He drowned in his pond.
>
> As far as I know, the  arrangements are private, there will be a Memorial
> Service on Sept. 18th,  2010.
>
> It is reported that he was on the pond with a 7 year old  granddaughter in
> a little boat and it overturned.
> She grabbed a paddle and  got to shore, he did not. They recovered his 
> body
> after  midnight.
>
>
> Don had a wide and lifelong interest in cars and belonged  to many clubs.
> He had a large Packard collection at one time and was well  versed in all
> things Packard.
> He also had many old and collectable Mopars  He had at least one of every
> Letter Car, with the 1965 Chrysler 300 "L" being  his favorite Letter Car.
> He owned 4 of the 12 stick-shift "L" convertibles  built. He owned a Junk
> Yard in PA. and as I recall, he had several hundred  cars in the yard and 
> at
> his Bucks co. PA. farm.
> The '66 300 Convertible  was  of special interest to him also.
>
> Please pass this on to any  others who are not on these two lists.
>
> He will be missed by many of  us, RIP.
> Ray Jones, in Mena,  Arkansas
>
>
>
>
>
>
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