TheSamba.com :: View topic - RIP Russ Wolfe (1943

Fri Mar 18, 2011 9:12 am

Its really a sad day. We've lost a real resource of experience, knowledge, and above all a true friend. I'm sure many of us will remember him for all of the good he's done for us individually as well as a community.

rip Russ. We miss you already.

Fri Mar 18, 2011 9:14 am

So, so sorry to hear this! My condolences to his wife, family and friends!

What a wealth of information, Russ was, and one hell of a nice guy. He helped me via the phone a number of times, find parts or just with some good advice for my type 3's!

God Speed Russ!

Fri Mar 18, 2011 9:24 am

Wow! That sucks!

Fri Mar 18, 2011 9:28 am

Vaya con Dios, Mr. Wolfe. I didn't know you, but I always appreciated your posts. Thank you for all that you gave to this community. You will be missed.

Fri Mar 18, 2011 9:32 am

He will be sincerely missed by many many people! Those he knew in person and those who he only knew via this forum.

So sorry to hear the news.

Dave

Fri Mar 18, 2011 9:34 am

Thanks for all the advice, RIP Russ.

Fri Mar 18, 2011 9:35 am

Though I never met russ in person, I could tell he was a man of good. With his knowledge and experience in the field of vws and of life in general. Russ, I will miss you in chat but keep a seat warm for me on the other side. Ill see ya someday.
FUCK CANCER!!!!!!!

Fri Mar 18, 2011 9:40 am

rest in peace chat buddy. now i dont think i will get booted as much :wink:

ill keep rolling the dice for ya though

Fri Mar 18, 2011 9:40 am

Surprising and sad news--Russ was a terrific person in every way.

Fri Mar 18, 2011 9:44 am

Lidpainter wrote: I didn't know him that well but it still really saddens me. Very sorry to hear.
x2

Fri Mar 18, 2011 9:50 am

Words fail me. I never met him, but his warmth, honesty, and sense of humor made me feel like I had. I was hoping to meet him on one of the more long-range Type 3 get-togethers. I feel so diminished by his passing, as I believe anyone who knew him must now. I am sorry, and wish comfort to his family and friends.

Today is my dad's 90th birthday. I will give him an extra hug (though he'll scoff at it being the stoic German) when I see him.

Farewell, Russ. May we meet in the VW showroom in the sky. Or would you rather it be the service bay?

-Phil

Fri Mar 18, 2011 10:17 am

Very sad news. Few people were as good as he was and he will be missed!

Fri Mar 18, 2011 10:24 am

so sad to hear that someone so full of life could be taken from us!!!!!!

fuck cancer!!!!!

Fri Mar 18, 2011 10:24 am

Never met Russ but I've read of his health issues and he can rest now.

Sorry to hear of his passing and his contributions to TS will surely be missed.

Fri Mar 18, 2011 10:27 am

Lidpainter wrote: I didn't know him that well but it still really saddens me. Very sorry to hear.

x2

Fri Mar 18, 2011 10:31 am

The Sage wrote: I hung out with Russ a lot in Chat. He was always there. He would never dispense advice to people about VW's in Chat, but would help them in the forums. That is unless we were alone, then he would deliver the goods. He had been working through the cancer for 5 years.

I have been going through pictures of Russ and the only one's I seem to have are of him sticking his head into an engine compartment. He bailed me out in 2007 when my 69 Westy's carb just died on I-80 in Iowa. After a phone consultation with Hazetguy, he recommended I call Russ who was 50 miles down the road. I knew Russ, had spoken on the phone, but meeting him and his wife Marilyn was an event. They fed me dinner, left me stay the night, and he rebuilt the carb, and dizzy while I went on with my trip. I brought back some Fat Tires from Colorado, and we ate meal loaf and drank beers watching the sun set at his place near Des Moines.

He was king of the court at Invasions, always teaching seminars on FI and engines. He helped Smithy with his bug in April 2009 at "TedFest"

I know Bob and a few other went to his place last year to clean up the mound of part he had accumulated over the years. I wish I could have gone to help, but I thought I'd have been able to see him this spring.

He loved VW's was proud to tell you he worked for Mahle after many years at a dealership. He was probably the toughest "Do it the right way" guy here, words that haunt me when I am working on stuff.

I have been missing him in chat, and I will miss his to the point advice here. I hope Marilyn and his kids and grandkids (who he was so proud of) are getting along ok.

I can just imagine he is working on his T-34 upstairs now...

The first time I met Russ and his wife was in 2007 when he offered to put me up for a night or 2 when I was headed to Niel's place to pick up a rusty 71 Notchback. I helped him out by welding in a patch panel in the floor of his daily driver 69 Fastback. That started a friendship, that saw me go out there every year during the summer, just to help him out, and get me away from the cold.
Right around Thanksgiving of 09, Russ called me, and made me an offer I couldn't refuse. It was his T-34. Since he was headed to Cali (to visit his son), I told him I'd see him in the spring (Michigan weather changes too much in December). As it turned out, a few of us got together around the same time, and had RussFest. It was during that week out there that I picked up the T-34, along with building 2 overhead storage areas to help him reclaim his shop floor. 8) Here's a couple of pics. The first is when we were lowering his jack after getting the T-34 off the cart it had been sitting on for the last 6 years. I'll always rember that smile and inside joke.

The next is after Russ set the end play on the engine it came with (the OE one). We searched thru 4 bins to get the right thickness of shims, with him doing the calculations in his head.

While he went to Menards, I put the engine into the car (after Sue (my wife) and I turned it around). He got back a little bit after I was done, and was very pleased to see it back in place.

This one was after all our hard work. Sue and I being there for a week, and Alan spending a day helping us finish up.

It was worth all the dirt, sweat, and climbing of the ladder just to see him smile like that. On top of everything else, Marilyn got to put HER car back into the garage attached to the house. Both were very happy and grateful to us all. We had a large meal, and everybody just relaxed afterward. 8)
I don't know if Russ actually got to see the pics of his old T-34 painted, but Marilyn did tell him it got shot, and he smiled at that. We worked out that deal, because he knew it would get rebuilt, rather than parted. He encouraged me along the way, and was very proud of the work I had done to it (told me several times). I'm going to really miss him, as I wanted to drive that car to his house, and let HIM take it for a ride. :cry: [/img]

Fri Mar 18, 2011 10:38 am

Wow! I had no idea.

Who else would offer to take the gas tank out of their car, just to give me a part number on the fuel pump?

I am new to VW's, but Russ was guiding my hand through my build. He'd let me wonder, but speak reason when I needed to be grounded.

I still have the spidles he rebuilt for me and they will be traveling many miles.

RIP Russ

-Tim

Fri Mar 18, 2011 10:41 am

So sorry to hear!!! My heart weighs heavy right now!
RIP Russ!!
:( :( :( :( :( :( :( :( :(

Fri Mar 18, 2011 10:56 am

Sad day, I miss you Russ. :cry:

Fri Mar 18, 2011 11:10 am

wow, what a great guy, he was always willing to help and he new his stuff.
you will be missed. i cant imagine what a great life he lived, my condolences to family