Lousy ending March.

[Racerbvd]

As some of you know, the other week, my friend Jim Bailie passed, he was a former IMSA Crew Chief of the year while running the Brumos team in Super Car.
He had a very interesting history as he also worked with A.J. Foyt, and the stories he told about driving a tow truck to retrieve Police cars during the Watts riots.




Well, Friday I found out that another, long time friend, whom I shared a birthday with was in the ER, and not doing well, then Sunday I was notified that he was being moved into Hospice .
His daughter contacted me to let me know where he was and that her brother said that Buzz didn't look good, he wasn't Conscious. So it kept eating at me, so I decided that I would go then, since he might not be there the next day. I signed in at 1:30am, but wasn't prepared for how bad he looked, so I spent an hour talking to him, he of course couldn't respond, but I know that he heard.
Next morning I sent a note to his daughter and girlfriend to see if there were any changes. I didn't want to go to an empty room, as the last time I was going to hospice was because a girlfriend was in there, and I went every day for a week, then I show up and the room was empty, when I asked, I was told she pass3d last night and her roommates didn't bother to tell me
So for obvious reasons I am gun shy about that place.
Well Buzz and I have been friends since the 80s, he was a former career Marine and even reupped when it started getting nasty in the middle east. He was always very athletic and set track records in high school, and his kids have done the same as well as his grandchildren. We were both members of the same private club, although he had me by a year or 2 as a Charter member (I'm still a member), we were in the Beer Club, which was a compilation and only 15 members, so 16 and on didn't get in, we spent a lot of time on the pool table, played on the same volleyball team, ect. A while back, I wasn't able to reach him, so I decided to go to some of the other places that he liked to hand out and play trivia. It was at one of those places that I found out that he wasn't doing well, so I reached out to his girlfriend and she told about his health issues, and he couldn't really see to read emails and such, plus he was living with his daughter who moved back from Hawaii.

[Racerbvd]

Well, now that I had a was to reach him, I went to visit, although, not as often as I would have liked



And on Monday, I visited him again, one of his daughters and son were there and wanted a group picture. He looked much better than he did at 1:30 AM

So Tuesday at 1:08, his girlfriend sends me a note that Buzz passed, peacefully at 12:45AM.
End of Watch Marine.
Sorry for venting on

[GH85Carrera]

Sorry for your loss Byron. He had an interesting career.

[Skip Newsom]

Sorry to hear what you're going through, part of aging is loosing more and more people that have impacted our lives and perceptions.

It's strange also how I've experienced losses in grouping at times.

Glad you went and spent some time, that's not an easy endeavor.

[Scott Douglas]

Sorry for your loss Byron.



And I don't consider it venting at all.

[masraum]

My condolences, Byron. It's tough, and as we get older and more of our friends will move on. The good news is that you've got and have had a ton of friends. Kind of like the "better to have loved and lost..." thing going on in that regard. Also, presumably, that means that in these tough times, you still have friends that you can talk to and hang out with that will do what they can to comfort you or just be there for/with you.

We, here on the board, may not be as close as you were to the folks that you've posted about, but we are your friends and do wish you the best, so we're happy for you to be able to "talk" about what you're going through if that's what you want/need. It's not venting. And absolutely no apology necessary!

Think on the good times, and make the most of the folks that you still have.

Hang in there, sir.

[Zeke]

Hopefully they passed in peace. That's all you can hope for.
My ex partner died in Dec. He was 72 and unexpected.
Sorry for you because they were friends. It's tough when it's long time friends.

[Bill Douglas]

Sorry for your loss Byron.

He certainly had a good time though.

[HobieMarty]

So sorry for the loss of your friend, my condolences to you and his family. It certainly sounds like he had an interesting life for sure but it is just never long enough.
Rest assured that he is at peace.

Sent from my SM-N950U using Tapatalk

[astrochex]

Sorry for your loss of a longtime friend, Byron. Good on you for spending time with him in his last days.

[Racerbvd]

Originally Posted by HobieMarty

So sorry for the loss of your friend, my condolences to you and his family. It certainly sounds like he had an interesting life for sure but it is just never long enough.
Rest assured that he is at peace.

Sent from my SM-N950U using Tapatalk

Thanks everyone, another thing about Buzz, he was a licensed Boxing judge who was ringside at major fights. With all of his different tours in the military, including "Hot Zones" he was never shot, but while judging a boxing match he got shot. He raised 2 sons and 2 daughters as a single parent and all have done very well.

[gsxrken]

Heartfelt post, Byron. You honor your friend with your memories- thank you for sharing some of your self on this board. We're all on the same bus.

[rfuerst911sc]

Sorry for your loss Byron .

[Bugsinrugs]

You were a good friend… condolences.

[jim72911t]

Beautiful tribute Byron. Celebrate his life and your friendship, and cherish the memories. Condolences.

[bugstrider]

Sorry for your loss Byron.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[sc_rufctr]

You have my condolences Sir Byron. All the best to you and your family.

[Bob Kontak]

That last pic made me cry.

Told my best car pal of 40+ years dying of cancer, "It was my privelidge to be your friend."

He told his wife after I left "Damn, that was a pretty good last thing to say". Two days later, gone. Sigh.

Sorry about the loss of your pal, Byron.

[Superman]

Sorry for your loss, Byron. Those were special men. Like you.

The woman in the pink top in the first post....was that picture cropped?