RIP Rusty Heap

[Jeff Higgins]

I'm not even sure where to begin. The title says it all. I've been kind of rattling around for the last day or so in stunned disbelief. Dave was my "brother of another mother". We first met at Boeing almost 30 years ago where we were working as tooling engineers. Me mechanical, Dave electrical, working on some equipment for the Interiors Division, right before I left it for AOG. We hit it off immediately, sharing similar backgrounds, having both lost our fathers at 18 years of age, leaving school in a haphazard daze to try to make some sense of things, getting married and subsequently finishing school, etc. I introduced him to Porsches one day giving him a lift home from work in my '72 which was my daily driver at the time.

I have felt closer to Dave than to my own two brothers at times over the last 30 years. Dave had a heart of gold, was always quick with a smile, and always saw life as "one big ocean to swim in". Dave was a certified Master Diver, even working as an instructor during the dive season in Belize at times. Just so full of life in so many ways.

As he mentioned here, Dave and his wife of 30+ years separated last year. She still cared a great deal for Dave, it was her that contacted me to let me know he had passed. She is just numb, even more so than I am, of course. We were both starting to wonder why we had not heard from Dave since Christmas, when we both wished him a "merry" one. Turns out Dave had died just a couple of days after Christmas. He lived on a secluded five acres in the woods ("the ranch" as he liked to call it), and one of the neighbors started to wonder why he wasn't seeing Dave go by on their shared private road. Turns out he had slipped in the shower and smacked his head.

My God. Dave, as I said, was a Master Diver. Beyond that, he had earned his certification for some of the most dangerous diving in the world, into the underground caves of Mexico, in the Bahamas, and in the Dominican Republic. He had skydived, he was an avid track day participant in both his Cayman and his 996C4S, was a respected expert in the modified side by side quad world where he was published in several enthusiast magazines, and was an avid participant in any number of what some might consider to be "risky" pursuits.

And he fell in the god damned shower. I'm still getting my head around that. Not sure I ever will. As a lover of irony, however, Dave probably wouldn't have had it any other way. RIP, my "Bother of another Mother".

[sc_rufctr]

Just awful... Rest in peace Dave.

[porsche tech]

Tragic, man. Sorry for your loss. I liked his posts here.

[rfuerst911sc]

Sorry for your loss , loss of life is never an easy process. RIP fellow Pelican

[astrochex]

Sorry for your loss of a lifelong friend, Jeff.

Shocking to hear how he died. May Rusty Heap rest in peace.

[masraum]

Wow, just wow. I'm stunned.

RIP, RH/Dave. My condolences to you, Jeff, and everyone that knew him well enough to be impacted.

You just never know when it's your time. At least it sounds like Dave was the sort to live his life versus waiting to live it some day when he had more time or more money or whatever.

His presence will be felt and missed here for sure.

[herr_oberst]

Well, that's a punch in the gut. I "met" him online when I did a little photoshop work for him while he was trying to put together some images for a side hustle he was working on with his side x side hobby/business.. He was very gracious and grateful.

Jeff, my condolences on the loss of your great friend. RIP, Rusty Heap.

[William930t]

Wow, very sad news and I just remember reading his 12/27 Belize post. The line, "Just got Back from a totally Ucked Fup 10 day trip from hell" hooked me into a bit of adventurous reading along with some great pictures. His 5,651 posts will live on in infamy.

Newest Pelican Hall of Fame member.

[pwd72s]

Damn! My condolences. We've lost yet another board contributor.

[Jeff Alton]

Wow, Jeff. Very sorry for your loss. Condolences to you and his Wife and family. Thank you for detailing some of his life and your shared connections. RIP.

[Steve Carlton]

So sad to hear. I enjoyed his posts. RIP, Dave.

[john walker's workshop]

So sad. RIP Dave. Haven't seen him since working on his red SC at my Seattle shop, which later got totalled by a wrong way driver. Just a nice, friendly guy.

[porsche tech]

From his 12/27/24 2:57 PM post about diving in Belize

[MBAtarga]

We will all miss him. I always found his posts interesting.

[VINMAN]

Damn. That's terrible. Will be missed here.
So sorry for your loss Jeff.

RIP Dave.

.

[Racerbvd]

Sorry for your loss, never gets easier.

[Sooner or later]

Rip

[oldE]

Jeff,
Thank you for sharing the news. Losing someone you've known for so long, with such a connection leaves such a feeling of disorientation. As you said, fell in the shower? How is that possible? Unfortunately it is all too possible and, it seems, common.
Goodbye to RustyHeap. I will raise a glass to his name.
The rest of you lugs: be careful! I don't want to become an alcoholic.

Best
Les

[Rawknees'Turbo]

That's one of the perils of living alone, such as I do; something significant happens and it is SOL time. Several months ago I accidently inhaled a vitamin pill (really, not something kinky! ) to the point that I was actually unable to breath - talk about an adrenaline dump. Somehow I was able to give myself a very clumsy, self-Heimlich maneuver and spat that biitch out (not like THAT! ). That reality of flying-solo is something that is always there and takes a certain mental toll.

Really sucks what happened to Rusty Heap.

[Danimal16]

RIP Dave, you are already missed. It is really hard to express how sorry I am to hear of his death.