Lost a friend and mentor this week.

[ultrarunner]

Since I was 10 and for the last 45 years we remained close friends... the kind of friend that is always glad to see you.

As a kid, I would hike over to the next ridge and spend hours just watching him work in his home shop and helping where I could. His passion besides the Navy was restoring Model A Fords from rust buckets to blue ribbon.

Retired Commander Ted Crosby was a WWII fighter ace and credited with saving the USS Hornet when he shot down 5 Japanese fighters trying to sink the carrier.

http://clubs.hemmings.com/acorn/Crosby 3-11-2012 page 1.pdf

When Ted decided it was time to leave his home of nearly 50 years... he was thrilled I was interested in the place and we made the deal on a handshake 10 years ago.

A fall two weeks ago at age 95 spelled the beginning of the end... Stanford was not able to turn things around... thing is he was doing great up till the fall and had standing engagements to speak of his military service in the Pacific.

Few left from his generation...

http://www.airpowermuseum.org/exhibits/acahof/assets/pdf/2004/crosby.pdf

 

[phiferpharm]

Your loss is also a loss for all Americans. So few of the greatest generation are left. May he Rest in Peace.

 

[Taylortractornut]

I went through the same thing a few months ago with my dear friend Mr Olen Parsons. As a teenager I would drive to his shop and watch him work on his trucks and others. The other day I realised working on one of our Mack trucks at all the things I learned from that old man.

 

[4shorts]

I'm so sorry to hear about your loss. No doubt about it, he was a good man. Thank your blessings you had so much time with him.
You'll be in our prayers during this difficult time.

 

[ultrarunner]

It's moments like this that give me pause...

Lost a lot of friends over the last two years... seems most of my really close, lifelong friends are 30 to 40 years my senior... on the plus side it is great always being the "Kid"

Having the opportunity to learn from their years of experience has been a great gift.

The commander didn't talk much about his service for years... all I knew is he was retired Navy. It was not until much later I learned about what he actually did when writers and jounalists would come to the house.

I guess this is probably true for most heroes... it is not something they dwell on or talk about unless asked.

If I had to use four words to describe him... they would be "Fearless", "Feisty", "Cantankerous" with a "Heart of Gold".

 

[deerseeker001]

Loss of a true friend stays in your Heart

 

[lilranch2001]

As a pre teen, I had a mentor like that, I was 12 and he was 65 and I followed him around like a puppy taking in as much knowledge as I could.
He taught me almost all I had learned about mechanics up to that age (my dad was not mechanical, nor very caring)

He passed away when I was 21 and he and his wife still pop into my thoughts quite often

 

[newbury]

Mentors are hard to come by. Especially as one gets OLDER. Keep remembering.

 

[ultrarunner]

I've tried to keep the tradition going... just doesn't seem to much interest in things mechanical these days from the younger set.

When I bought his place, he made it a point to give me his tool box... no matched sets of anything... yet it had just about anything needed... after all he did Blue Ribbon restorations using simple hand tools and a craftsman air compressor. I think of him everytime I open a drawer.

I've been lucky in that I have several I can thank as a kid for always being there and willing to offer advice...