Northern New Jersey Region - Sports Car Club of America

Vinny Blancuzzi died on April 21^st at Saint Clare's Hospital in Dover. He was 36.

Vinny joined the SCCA in October of 1991. He was a member of the Berkeley Heights Rescue Squad and was already a big fan of automobile racing. His interest in auto racing had been sparked by his father at an early age. Years later, when he came to Lime Rock as a young man, he must have liked what he saw because he quickly became one of us and was embraced by our SCCA family.

In short order Vinny earned his Flagging and Communications license as well as his Emergency Services license. Regardless of the region conducting the event, it was a virtual certainty that Vinny would be there working a corner or doing his thing at the track's medical station.

Vinny was a quiet guy. He was quiet about himself. Vinny was very quiet about himself. He was always most interested in the person with whom he was speaking. Vinny was more interested in you. Remembering back, it seems that whenever you greeted Vinny, his typical response was, "Hey! How’re you doing?" or "Hey! What’s happening?"

He never said, "Can you do this for me?" More often it was, "Can you help me with this?" Or, hearing that something needed doing, he would simply go and do it. He wouldn't look to be thanked. Often, not knowing that Vinny had already taken care of things, when you went to do a task, you discovered that it had already been done.

But as serious as working corners is, Vinny also had time for a lighter side. A water balloon fight at a gathering of SCCA folks or the silliness of squirting Redi-Whip all over in the cab of the Region’s van – well, each of these was possible with Vinny. He loved to have fun.

He was awarded the honor of NESCCA Worker of the Year in 2002 – affirmation of the high regard which the Flagging & Communications community as well as the entire SCCA NorthEast Division held for his abilities and his dedication.

In 2004, when he became ill, he was examined at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in the city. He had to endure over a month of daily radiation treatments at Sloan-Kettering. Showing their love for him, his friends rose to the occasion and made themselves available to drive him to Manhattan and back to Berkeley Heights each day.

He not only loved the SCCA and the sport, but he also found his love in the SCCA. Robin & Vinny. Vinny & Robin. If you saw one, then you also saw the other. They attended our Region’s meetings together. At our Annual Dinner or at the Region’s Worker Party each January, they were there together. On the first Friday of the month labeling the newsletter at Robin’s – Vinny was always there.

Vinny loved kids. And kids loved Vinny. Jessica and Rachel and Kenneth all loved him. All the tykes in our SCCA family loved Vinny because he would take the time to play and kid around with them.

Vinny is survived by his folks Diane and Vincent Sr., by his love Robin, by his two brothers Jeffrey and Stephen, and by his SCCA family of friends.

RICHARD G. WRIGHT

RICHARD G. “SCOTTY” WRIGHT

Scotty Wright, the oldest actively participating member of the Northern New Jersey Region of the Sports Car Club of America, died on Friday, November 18^th at Leisure Park Assisted Living in Lakewood, New Jersey.

Scotty joined NNJR in March of 1965. He was an automotive mechanic for Motion Systems Corp., Eatontown, for many years before retiring. He was also the former owner and operator of Scotty & Curtis Car Service Garage, Short Hills, years ago. He was a member of Christiadelphian Church, Westfield. He lived in Maplewood before moving to Brick more than 10 years ago.

Born in Leven, Scotland, on January 17, 1921, Scotty served in His Majesty’s Royal Navy during World War II. He was predeceased by his wife, Vivian Decker Wright, in 1996. He leaves his constant daily companion, June Zeitler of Brick, NJ, and a nephew in Scotland.

Scotty was most recently the holder of a Senior Steward’s license with the SCCA. He could always be counted on to participate as a Steward of the Meeting at race events at Lime Rock and Pocono. He was a shrewd judge of right and wrong when sitting in a First Court at the races and had a keen sense of fairness in meting out penalty. For the 2005 season he participated at only one event. A work related injury kept him from participating for most of the season. In September he was admitted to Ocean Medical Center in Brick, NJ.

Scotty would have been recognized for his forty years of service to the SCCA at Northern New Jersey Region’s Annual Dinner scheduled for December 3^rd. Instead, his service pin was placed on his lapel at the funeral home. Burial was at the Cold Spring Presbyterian Cemetery in Cold Spring, Cape May County, New Jersey.

Posted by the Asbury Park Press on 11/19/05

RICHARD G. WRIGHT, 84, of BRICK, died Friday, Nov. 18, He was an automotive mechanic for Motion Systems Corp., Eatontown, for many years before retiring. He was a World War II British Navy veteran. He was a member of the Sports Car Club of America, Northern New Jersey Region. He was also the former owner and operator of Scotty & Curtis Car Service Garage, Short Hills, years ago. He was a member of Christiadelphian Church, Westfield. Born in Leven, Scotland, he lived in Maplewood before moving to Brick more than 10 years ago.

He was predeceased by his wife, Vivian Decker Wright, in 1996. There are no known survivors.

Viewing hours will be from 7 to 9 p.m. Sunday, with a funeral service at 8 p.m., at the Weatherhead Young Funeral Home, 885 Mantoloking Road, Brick. Burial will take place at 11 a.m. Monday in Cold Spring Presbyterian Cemetery, Cold Spring.

Jack MacQuaide

1920-2008

Jack MacQuaide passed away Thursday, February 21, 2008.

Jack was a member of Northern NJ Region for many years. He had joined the SCCA in 1960. He was our Regional Executive for several years in the mid-1960s and served a number of terms as a Trustee of the region. He also was the Activities Chair for NNJ for a number of years. In the 1970s Jack was the region's pace car driver. He was one of the earliest recipients of the William Giltzow Award, NNJ's highest award to a member. In more recent years he had volunteered as a Pit Lane worker at NNJ events as well as for the Central Florida Region.

He and his first wife, Gloria, would spend a portion of the winter in Daytona each year. When Jack retired they would spend an even greater portion of the year in Florida. Eventually they would leave New Jersey for their home in Daytona after Thanksgiving and return around the middle of May.

Gloria passed away a number of years back. Around that time Jack changed his region of record to Central Florida Region and became active there. However he kept his home in Little Falls and came north for the summer racing season each year. Jack held a National license in Race Control until the 2006 year.

Jack's wife, Rosemary (nee Shannon) survives.

reprinted from the Record -

MacQUAIDE John H. Jack, 87, of Wayne, NJ formerly of Little Falls, NJ died Thursday, February 21, 2008 at Sunrise of Wayne, Wayne, NJ. Born in Livingston, NJ he resided there until moving to Little Falls in 1946 and then to Wayne in 2006. He also maintained a residence in Daytona Beach, Florida. He graduated West Orange High School and Newark College of Engineering. Mr. MacQuaide and his late father, Walter, were the owners of Merrell-MacQuaide Motors, a Dodge-Plymouth Dealership in Clifton, NJ for many years. He later worked at W.H.Peters Cadillac, Hackensack, NJ which became Schneider Cadillac and then Feldner Cadillac for thirty years receiving Cadillac's highest achievement award The Diamond Crest and Ring Award. Mr. MacQuaide was very active in the Masons belonging to Little Falls Masonic Lodge, 263, the Salaam Shrine, Livingston, NJ, and a member of deMolay, Livingston, NJ he became a 33rd Degree Mason on August 27, 1996. He also was a member of the Daytona Beach Masonic Lodge. He is predeceased by his parents, Walter F. MacQuaide, Sr. in 1949 and Mary E. (nee Horsburgh) MacQuaide in 1988 and his brother, Walter F. MacQuaide, Jr. in 1944. He is survived by his wife, Rosemary C. (nee Shannon) MacQuaide of Wyckoff, NJ; and a cousin, Thomas Horsburgh of West Milford, NJ. Funeral Services are 10:00 am Monday at Bizub-Parker Funeral Home, 47 Main Street, Little Falls, NJ and 11:00 am at the Church of St. Elizabeth, 700 Wyckoff Avenue, Wyckoff, NJ 07481. Interment Hanover Cemetery, East Hanover, NJ. Visiting hours Sunday 1:00 pm - 5:00 pm. Masonic Services 4:00 pm Sunday. Memorial Contributions may be made to Gift of Life, c/o Paterson Rotary, 100 Hamilton Plaza, Paterson, NJ 07505. Please visit www.bizub.com for online condolences and driving directions

BRIAN HOLTZ
Sad news that NeDiv stalwart and officer Brian Holtz passed away. Brian was active as a Steward as well as a Divisional Administrator and a past Director among wearer of many other hats. He will be utterly missed. Northern New Jersey Region joins the rest of the division as well as the national office in sending condolences to Brian's family and friends.

Brian E. Holtz, 55, of Bethlehem, passed away Monday, September 13, 2010 in Lehigh Valley Hospital-Muhlenberg. He and his wife Ellen F. (Fogg) Holtz were married for 25 years in February.
Born in Bethesda, MD, he was the son of Barbara (Stone) Holtz of Potomac, MD and the late John “Jack” Holtz. Brian was a graduate of Villanova University. He was a Mechanical Engineer and Project Manager at Air Products and was proud of his work for the past 31 years. Brian raced a Mazda RX-3 for 15 years. He was a member of the Sports Car Club of America since 1975 and served as a former Philadelphia Region Executive, Race Steward and Tech Chief. Brian was also a member of the SCCA Board of Directors for two terms, Competition Committee, past president of the Northeast Division and Chairman of the Pro Racing Board.

Survivors: wife; mother; son, Joseph B. Holtz and his wife Kimberly of Horsham; sisters, Jane Holtz Cranska and her husband Allen of Glenwood, MD, and Karen Muttimer and her husband Paul of Ashburn, VA.

Services: Calling hours will be Thursday, Sept. 16, from 11 AM until 1 PM with funeral services to follow at 1 PM in the Long Funeral Home, 500 Linden St, Bethlehem. Online condolences may be made at www.longfuneralhome.com

Contributions: Autism Society, 4340 East-West Highway, Suite 350, Bethesda, MD 20814 or American Diabetes Association, PO Box 11454, Alexandria, VA 22312.