PLEASE READ: Death of Fellow Pelican BBS Member...

[Wayne at Pelican Parts]

I have sad news to report. I received this email from Jane Bennett:

Dear Wayne,
I am the wife of one of your Pelican Parts forum chat members here in Massachusetts, Barry Bennett. (I think he went by the name targa911, but I can't be sure...)
Barry died Nov. 2 of a line-of-duty injury - see the attached news story link... He was so excited the last two years, because he bought his first Porsche 911S Targa. He stripped it down, and had completely restored the body, had the engine apart and bought new pistons, etc. It is in a kazillion pieces in my two-car garage. The last year, however, he became so disabled, and received a life-saving transplant this past May; but the Hep C virus (stuck with a paramedic's discarded needle while resuscitating a junkie in 1987) came back and destroyed his new liver. Sadly, Barry's life-long dream will never be realized.
Anyway, he communicated once in a while with a Pelican Parts forum member named Chris Bennett of Nashua, NH, and once visited Chris. I am hoping you can help me contact Chris or any other Mass. Pelican Parts members for advice on what to do with Barry's car. My children and I are devastated at losing my husband, and also very sad that he will not be able to finish his dream - but maybe there is someone out there looking for a project, or someone who knows enough about this car to help me come to a good decision on what to do with it.
Anyway, thanks for having Barry as a member. He was a hard-working firefighter, loving father, and devoted Porsche fan - and enjoyed occasional chats with all of you the past 2 years.
-Jane Bennett, Maynard, MA

Here is the link to the article on Barry:

http://www.townonline.com/cambridge/news.html

And here is her email address: Jaynlayn355@aol.com

His username was BMB, and here are some links to his posts:

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/search.php?action=showresults&searchid=487887

Anyone have any suggestions or bright ideas?

-Wayne

Added: PayPal Information for $50 Donation Fund:

_______________________________
You can send money by PayPal to:

toddr@usc.edu

www.paypal.com

If you want to send a check or money order, email me for my mailing address.
I'll post a running tally, and then we just need to figure out where/who to
send the money to.
_____________________________

[Noah]

That is awful news. My heart goes out to Jane.

Maybe some of us Pelicans in the area could gather and put Barry's motor back together and get his car running, so his wife and children could either use Barry's car, or sell it.

[Porsche]

Oh no. I've never met Barry, but my prayers go out to the family with my sincere condolences.

[milt]

Originally posted by Noah Pollak


Maybe some of us Pelicans in the area could gather and put Barry's motor back together and get his car running, so his wife and children could either use Barry's car, or sell it.

That is a truly noble thought. Only a Pelican would have proposed that.

[Norm Faustino]

Wayne, Noah has a great idea there. If getting everyone together doesn't work out, I would be willing to donate $50.00 toward having the motor professionally restored for Mrs. Bennet So that she and her kids can hold on to the their Father's most cherished posession and enjoy it in the spirit that Barry would have.
they are in my prayers.

[Jess]

If anyone of us was able to read that without a tear forming or, more likely running down thier cheek, they're either lying or will never be a friend of mine.

I don't know what I can do from Colorado, other than shed a tear and offer my thoughts but I know that people on this board out East will make us all proud.

Jane, I am so sorry to hear of your loss.

If there is anything that can be done from Colorado, I can assemble a large group to help. Just ask.

I guess when we think we have problems we need to take a look at the larger picture, our loved ones that are around us, and way, way down the list, the cars in our garage. I can't even begin to imagine you loss and pain.

With greatest sympathy,

Jess

[Embs]

I think we could take up an electronic collection and send it to his family from the Pelican BBS-911 Group. If Wayne could give us a Paypal ID and hold the collection over the next week, I'll be the first to contribute.
What a sad story. Life is awesome, even on bad days.

[Neilk]

That's terrible. My thoughts are with his family. Please tell us how we can help.

[nostatic]

I'm in for $50. What would be great is if someone local could arrange getting it going and take care of selling it for them (unless they want to keep it). The last thing they need to be doing is worrying about selling an old 911. If someone can take pics, I can do a sales page and host it.

[Vipergrün]

Very sad news

I think we should chip to get the car running, then, encourage the mother to hang onto it for his sons to enjoy.

My thoughts are with his family.

-B

[Emission]

We take a collection and local Pelicans can get the car (his life-long dream) up and running.

[jpachard]

I would be willing to donate tools and a garage space to get the project going, along with some time. Hopefully we can get Chris on board as well as a few other locals. My thoughts go out to the family.

James

[Leland Pate]

Wayne, this really has struck a cord with me too.
I will donate $50 if and when we can get an account setup.
We can come together and do something, I know we can.
As great as this forum has been to me, I know the same generosity can be extended to others.

Wayne, please let us know if something can be setup.

Maybe even a benifit auction?

My heart goes out to them.

[JeremyD]

I'm in too for $50 - hey anybody up that way set up a paypal account for them - let's get his car running! How about a link to the St. Petersburg woman who tracked down her dad's car?

[ZAMIRZ]

Originally posted by Emission
We take a collection and local Pelicans can get the car (his life-long dream) up and running.

I'm in fo this idea.......just lemme know where to paypal the $50.

[Noah]

I think the first thing to do is to find out the state of the car and the engine -- probably one person should contact Mrs. Bennett to see what shape the car is in (maybe Chris Bennett, since he knew Barry?). A group of us from New England could get together and put it all together and get the car running. I think that would be a really fitting gift for Jane and her children.

[kepperly]

I think an email to the local PCA would give some relief also,
The thought of having a restored car that my father purchased
makes my heart leap, Wayne whats the account to send the contributions to $ to.

Keith Epperly
Wichita region membership chairman

[rs911t]

Awful news. I too like the idea of a collection to finish the car. Count me in.

[chrisp]

I am about 1:40 from maynard, MA. Let me know how I can help. It would be no problem to come up for a day and put whatever we need to back together. I can handle some or all of the suspension work if someone else wants to volunteer to do the engine.

Should it need to be relocated to jpachard's I could come up with my trailer and move it. Sounds like it may have a garage home though.

Whomever will be coordinating the effort please count me in.

[KevinP73]

I'm in for a donation also
Can we find someone who can advise us as to how to go about this properly. I wouldn't want Uncle Sam to turn our generosity into a tax liability for the family. I'm sure they have plenty to concentrate on right now.