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Sun Apr 12, 2015 5:53 am

It is with a heavy heart that I pass on the news that VW enthusiast and one of my best buddies Brian "Crusty" Holcomb passed away this morning at 5am to cancer. If your ever met him, you loved him, quite the prankster, a great big gruff-looking guy (really just a big teddy-bear), super mechanic, he loved his wife Dawn (RIP) and son Carson, his family and friends, all things old and mechanical, especially his beloved fleet of Transporters. I'll always picture him holding court in the warm glow of a campfire with a Hamms in one hand and a cigar in the other.

My thoughts are with his family. Brian is survived by his 10 year old son Carson, and his parents "Connie" and Carolyn. Arrangements will be settled upon and announced later. One of our great ones is gone, but there is no way in hell that anyone who knew Brian will ever forget him! And I think that will make him happy. I'm glad that his unjust suffering is over. "Crusty" you are missed greatly!

If any of you have any fond memories or photos of "Crusty" that you'd like to share, please feel free to post 'em up here!

Bill Bowman

Sun Apr 12, 2015 6:02 am

Terrible news.
Too much tragedy for his son and family.

Sun Apr 12, 2015 6:28 am

Brian is awesome. He was a great guy, and I have a lot of very fond memories of the times we got to visit him. I am so glad to have known him, and so sad he's gone.

Sun Apr 12, 2015 7:51 am

Didn't know Brian personally but please pass my condolences to his family. RIP

Sun Apr 12, 2015 8:38 am

Sorry to hear this. I never met Brian, but he helped me out as a reference when I sold a bus to a guy several years ago. The VW network made it happen.

I do have one thing to point out. I think the 63 Westy pictured is one I once owned. Does anyone of his friends here know where he found it? I sold it in the summer of 94 at a VW show in Minnesota. I had heard he ended up with it and did a beautiful restoration of it. It sure looks great in the photo.

Sun Apr 12, 2015 9:01 am

I wish I knew the back-story on that Westy purchase (probably wouldn't be too hard to find out for you) but you are right, he did an awesome full restoration on that Westy. He brought it out camping a lot! That shot was at our BNNTA camping weekend.

A few more photo memories of Brian "crusty" Holcomb:

Always ready to help someone out with their old VWs, here he is dissecting someone's carb on a picnic bench during the BNNTA campout in 2005

Here you see Neil Pickett(L) and Brian preparing to help me pull my old engine (threw a rod) upon arrival in the Mid-America Motorworks garage facilities at the Funfest event in 2008.

Brian was a great mechanic and loved old motors. He has built several for my fleet over the years, and here he is during the 2009 BNNTA campout doing a quicky tune-up on the ground in the campground after the "break-in run" of the new 1600 he built for me.

Master Chef "Crusty" donning his Schlitz chef cap while cooking up fish for the DBG Club's traditional Friday night "fish fry" at BNNTA.

At Funfest 2008 re-checking the torque of his rear axle nuts after arrival in his freshly restored '70 Double-Cab Pick-up...

...and hangin' out in the Funfest campground with Hot VW feature writer/photographer Dean Kirsten...

a few more to come...

Bill

Sun Apr 12, 2015 9:06 am

Brian was truly a giant. a wonderful person. I will forever fondly remember our adventures at elkhart lake. those who were there can tell the stories, and they are all true. I can't even begin to describe the fun.

I hope this photo is inappropriate, because we all know Brian would love that.

Sun Apr 12, 2015 9:12 am

I think I may have met him at some midwest VW shows in the early 90's. His face is very familiar.

Sun Apr 12, 2015 11:12 am

Sorry for his families loss!
What was Brian's Samba username?

Sincerely
Tcash

Sun Apr 12, 2015 11:38 am

Tcash wrote: Sorry for his families loss!
What was Brian's Samba username?

Sincerely
Tcash
vwbrian

he did not post alot, but he was on thesamba frequently.

Sun Apr 12, 2015 12:49 pm

Before my best friend, my mother, died, she said there is a better place. He is at peace with God.

Sun Apr 12, 2015 12:59 pm

Knew of him very briefly,Kelly Park/Mark Merril open house 2014 what I saw was a great guy,great sense of humor and a world of VW knowledge. may he be away from pain and RIP
Thomas

Sun Apr 12, 2015 2:11 pm

Didn't know him personally but I remember him from BNNTAs and the old BBTA at Ft Zummwalt and the mosquito hole. A cancer survivor myself I know what it does to friends and families. My heart goes out to them.

Sun Apr 12, 2015 2:41 pm

Complete sadness we all knew it was going to happen sooner than later but we all wanted him to pull through just a bit longer. I will never forget him so many great memories. Here is a video of Crusty driving a 1946 Beetle with Mike that Bill filmed.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?feature=youtu.be&v=3F0S0Jj-j9E

Sun Apr 12, 2015 3:02 pm

Vintage Auto Werks1 wrote: Complete sadness we all knew it was going to happen sooner than later but we all wanted him to pull through just a bit longer. I will never forget him so many great memories. Here is a video of Crusty and Bill.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?feature=youtu.be&v=3F0S0Jj-j9E

Great memory! Brian and Mike cruising the 1946 Beetle back to the barn. I think in a previous year that I have some video of Brian wedged into the cockpit of Mark's Schwimwagen for a ride up and down the street. Hysterical to see him crammed in there and smiling ear to ear. If I can locate it, I'll post it in the next day or two.

He was a gas to be around!

Bill

Sun Apr 12, 2015 6:14 pm

I am so sorry to hear about Brian. What a loss.

Sun Apr 12, 2015 7:16 pm

So sad, i remember him from the only busses by the arch I ever went to. Very nice guy, he gave me a middle seat out of a bay window to use in my splitty.

Sun Apr 12, 2015 7:23 pm

R.I.P. Brian, My deepest sympathy to the Holcomb family. I have many memories of him that I will forever remember. He was so much fun to be around and such a great personality , he will be missed immensely. I remember first meeting him, I think at BBTA in '95 a year after I got my bus. He helped me out tremendously with my bus , building a 1600SP that's still running beautifully after almost 20yr's. A huge loss to the VW community. Goodbye Brian.................... :cry:

Sun Apr 12, 2015 7:38 pm

Clara wrote: I am so sorry to hear about Brian. What a loss.

Very true! There are a lot of VW friends all across the Midwest with a hole in their hearts tonight...

Bill

Sun Apr 12, 2015 7:48 pm

For those looking for info on Crustys Memorial service here it is. It is being held the same weekend as his annual campout.

"The memorial service will be Friday night, May 1st. Yes, the same weekend as Camp Crusty!
Come one, come all!!!
We will have a VW tribute to the funeral home Friday night with a gathering at the shop to follow. We will setup camp in the field where the fall burn is normally.
Hope to see everyone there for a final farewell to our DBG brother!!"