Gary Sims passed away
03-06-2013, 11:42 PM
#33
Track Day
Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: Atlanta, GA
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Very Sad Indeed
I didn't know him personally but I always learned a lot and was entertained by Gary's posts - before I even purchased my car and started lurking around here. He was one of the first Members to ever welcome. congratulate and reassure me on a question I had when I made my first post. Impressive Resume as well and definitely will be missed in our online community. My condolences to his family and anyone here who was close to him personally - I wish I had been able to meet him and shake his hand.
03-07-2013, 09:00 PM
#36
Addict
Rennlist Member
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RIP Gary, your insight, experience and writing will be genuinely missed.
03-10-2013, 11:42 AM
#39
Instructor
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I rarely post here, but last year I posted something about listening to classical music in my Porsche, and Gary responded to me that he had listened to ALL of Mozart's and Beethoven's works while driving his Porsches!
How many here knew that!!
How many here knew that!!
Last edited by hockeyguy; 03-10-2013 at 12:42 PM.
03-10-2013, 12:00 PM
#40
Rennlist Member
I remember Gary from my statement that "I enjoyed his RANTs on RennList". He took objection to that and in a friendly way called me out on it! Would have loved to have met him in person. People with true character seem to rare these days - especially ones that are literate and can write interesting dialogues. Miss the guy. Who's next to carry the literary torch of Porsche knowledge?
03-11-2013, 04:02 AM
#41
My condolences to the loss of a great friend. I had the luck of reading some of his writings during my occasional visits to the forums, and he is one of the few here that I had hoped to one day have a conversation with. I am saddened that I will never have that opportunity, but 'tis a bittersweet thought that he may no longer feel the sorrow of being apart from his wife.
With much respect, I bid you goodbye, Gary.
With much respect, I bid you goodbye, Gary.
03-12-2013, 04:17 PM
#42
Track Day
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Gary Sims, an dear brother.
Thanks you all for posting as you have. As you have mentioned my brother was an incredible person and friend.
Some would characterize his attention to detail and people skills as old school in comparison to how the average person communicates in this day and age. I say it is how we are supposed to live. Both of my older brothers Gary and Dale are this way. Great people and full of love and support.
As a new member I look forward to learning and getting to know some of you. I have always loved Porsche's. I can remember back in 1979 walking through the Officers Barracks and seeing the most beautiful Porsche Turbo 911 with a whale tail, Gorgeous blue color with a large ribbon and bow on it and a small tag saying " I hope this makes up for last night" Of course is was in a Ladies hand writing. I thought WOW How lucky is this officer!!!!!!!! It was brand new, Of course I drooled. At that moment as a 18 year old lad in the Air force stationed overseas, I was hooked.
Some would characterize his attention to detail and people skills as old school in comparison to how the average person communicates in this day and age. I say it is how we are supposed to live. Both of my older brothers Gary and Dale are this way. Great people and full of love and support.
As a new member I look forward to learning and getting to know some of you. I have always loved Porsche's. I can remember back in 1979 walking through the Officers Barracks and seeing the most beautiful Porsche Turbo 911 with a whale tail, Gorgeous blue color with a large ribbon and bow on it and a small tag saying " I hope this makes up for last night" Of course is was in a Ladies hand writing. I thought WOW How lucky is this officer!!!!!!!! It was brand new, Of course I drooled. At that moment as a 18 year old lad in the Air force stationed overseas, I was hooked.
03-15-2013, 02:21 AM
#43
2nd Gear
Join Date: Mar 2013
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I'm new to this forum, not having a whole lot of time to read or write posts, but I was told about this thread and joined just to add something about Gary. Unlike most of you, I didn't know him on Rennlist, but in person - although we only became acquainted last November, when he was assigned to me as an "Advanced Instructor" at a PCA/SGVR-GPX - sponsored DE/TT at the Fairplex (Pomona, California). As he was a former and I a current employee at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, we ended up "speaking the same language" and he's the first instructor I met who not only had been a professional race driver (Formula Fords) and instructor, but used terms like "vector" and "second derivative" in our conversation.
He was clearly enjoying his new Porsche. He was "breaking it in" on the Pomona track and trying hard not to over-rev a new car. But he'd already moved the goal posts up from 4000 to 5000 rpm and was finding it hard not to drive over that limit. But - boy - was he enjoying the ride.
We were both extremely tired the Monday after that track day but mutual email confirmed that we both had had what Gary called "very serious fun" and planned to do this again at the PGX's Day Away from work this weekend. We started nearly weekly email exchanges, usually punctuated with Gary's Google-Earth renditions of track maps that were filled with overlain diagrams on the line and braking/turning points. I never thought I'd meet anybody else driving the track who was as analytical as I tend to be! :-) We got together at the end of January at a Lancaster restaurant just before a POC event. Like a few of you, I suddenly stopped hearing from him - then got the awful news.
I note that he'd complained in January that it felt as if his "left side was starting to shut down", which added to the complications of his severe arthritis (he was walking with two canes, but his track performance made up for any slowness by foot!!).
Gary, I clearly met you way too late, and I'll miss you a lot.
PCA/SGVR, CDI
He was clearly enjoying his new Porsche. He was "breaking it in" on the Pomona track and trying hard not to over-rev a new car. But he'd already moved the goal posts up from 4000 to 5000 rpm and was finding it hard not to drive over that limit. But - boy - was he enjoying the ride.
We were both extremely tired the Monday after that track day but mutual email confirmed that we both had had what Gary called "very serious fun" and planned to do this again at the PGX's Day Away from work this weekend. We started nearly weekly email exchanges, usually punctuated with Gary's Google-Earth renditions of track maps that were filled with overlain diagrams on the line and braking/turning points. I never thought I'd meet anybody else driving the track who was as analytical as I tend to be! :-) We got together at the end of January at a Lancaster restaurant just before a POC event. Like a few of you, I suddenly stopped hearing from him - then got the awful news.
I note that he'd complained in January that it felt as if his "left side was starting to shut down", which added to the complications of his severe arthritis (he was walking with two canes, but his track performance made up for any slowness by foot!!).
Gary, I clearly met you way too late, and I'll miss you a lot.
PCA/SGVR, CDI
03-15-2013, 11:57 AM
#44
Rennlist Member
Thanks you all for posting as you have. As you have mentioned my brother was an incredible person and friend.
Some would characterize his attention to detail and people skills as old school in comparison to how the average person communicates in this day and age. I say it is how we are supposed to live. Both of my older brothers Gary and Dale are this way. Great people and full of love and support.
As a new member I look forward to learning and getting to know some of you. I have always loved Porsche's. I can remember back in 1979 walking through the Officers Barracks and seeing the most beautiful Porsche Turbo 911 with a whale tail, Gorgeous blue color with a large ribbon and bow on it and a small tag saying " I hope this makes up for last night" Of course is was in a Ladies hand writing. I thought WOW How lucky is this officer!!!!!!!! It was brand new, Of course I drooled. At that moment as a 18 year old lad in the Air force stationed overseas, I was hooked.
Some would characterize his attention to detail and people skills as old school in comparison to how the average person communicates in this day and age. I say it is how we are supposed to live. Both of my older brothers Gary and Dale are this way. Great people and full of love and support.
As a new member I look forward to learning and getting to know some of you. I have always loved Porsche's. I can remember back in 1979 walking through the Officers Barracks and seeing the most beautiful Porsche Turbo 911 with a whale tail, Gorgeous blue color with a large ribbon and bow on it and a small tag saying " I hope this makes up for last night" Of course is was in a Ladies hand writing. I thought WOW How lucky is this officer!!!!!!!! It was brand new, Of course I drooled. At that moment as a 18 year old lad in the Air force stationed overseas, I was hooked.
03-15-2013, 12:54 PM
#45
Drifting
I'm new to this forum, not having a whole lot of time to read or write posts, but I was told about this thread and joined just to add something about Gary. Unlike most of you, I didn't know him on Rennlist, but in person - although we only became acquainted last November, when he was assigned to me as an "Advanced Instructor" at a PCA/SGVR-GPX - sponsored DE/TT at the Fairplex (Pomona, California). As he was a former and I a current employee at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, we ended up "speaking the same language" and he's the first instructor I met who not only had been a professional race driver (Formula Fords) and instructor, but used terms like "vector" and "second derivative" in our conversation.
He was clearly enjoying his new Porsche. He was "breaking it in" on the Pomona track and trying hard not to over-rev a new car. But he'd already moved the goal posts up from 4000 to 5000 rpm and was finding it hard not to drive over that limit. But - boy - was he enjoying the ride.
We were both extremely tired the Monday after that track day but mutual email confirmed that we both had had what Gary called "very serious fun" and planned to do this again at the PGX's Day Away from work this weekend. We started nearly weekly email exchanges, usually punctuated with Gary's Google-Earth renditions of track maps that were filled with overlain diagrams on the line and braking/turning points. I never thought I'd meet anybody else driving the track who was as analytical as I tend to be! :-) We got together at the end of January at a Lancaster restaurant just before a POC event. Like a few of you, I suddenly stopped hearing from him - then got the awful news.
I note that he'd complained in January that it felt as if his "left side was starting to shut down", which added to the complications of his severe arthritis (he was walking with two canes, but his track performance made up for any slowness by foot!!).
Gary, I clearly met you way too late, and I'll miss you a lot.
PCA/SGVR, CDI
He was clearly enjoying his new Porsche. He was "breaking it in" on the Pomona track and trying hard not to over-rev a new car. But he'd already moved the goal posts up from 4000 to 5000 rpm and was finding it hard not to drive over that limit. But - boy - was he enjoying the ride.
We were both extremely tired the Monday after that track day but mutual email confirmed that we both had had what Gary called "very serious fun" and planned to do this again at the PGX's Day Away from work this weekend. We started nearly weekly email exchanges, usually punctuated with Gary's Google-Earth renditions of track maps that were filled with overlain diagrams on the line and braking/turning points. I never thought I'd meet anybody else driving the track who was as analytical as I tend to be! :-) We got together at the end of January at a Lancaster restaurant just before a POC event. Like a few of you, I suddenly stopped hearing from him - then got the awful news.
I note that he'd complained in January that it felt as if his "left side was starting to shut down", which added to the complications of his severe arthritis (he was walking with two canes, but his track performance made up for any slowness by foot!!).
Gary, I clearly met you way too late, and I'll miss you a lot.
PCA/SGVR, CDI