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Title: Mark Riley, RIP Post by: Fastbrit on July 26, 2007, 11:48:01 am I have just learned that Dean Lowry's son-in-law Mark Riley passed away two days ago, aged just 48. Mark was married to Dean's daughter Marla and often drove her 'If you've got it, flaunt it' race car. He also put Dean's former Pro-Stocker on the street. Controversial, outspoken and often misunderstood, Mark always had time to stop and chat to a Brit. Rest in peace, Mark.
Title: Re: Mark Riley, RIP Post by: louisb on July 26, 2007, 12:01:19 pm I remember Mark from the original CLF. Sorry to hear this.
--louis Title: Re: Mark Riley, RIP Post by: ESH on July 26, 2007, 12:36:44 pm Very sorry to hear that. Rest in peace, Mark.
Title: Re: Mark Riley, RIP Post by: Donny B. on July 26, 2007, 15:32:00 pm I am really sorry to hear this. I bought my last set of DCNF's from him. He was a good guy and will be missed by all that got a chance to know him.
Title: Re: Mark Riley, RIP Post by: gibber! on July 26, 2007, 22:36:45 pm Very sad news.....
Title: Re: Mark Riley, RIP Post by: Fastbrit on July 26, 2007, 23:32:50 pm Here's a nice story...
When Dean passed away, Mark and Mark (Riley and Herbert) were entrusted with the task of sorting through Dean's garage at his Phoenix home. I'd met and befriended Dean some years before while researching the Cal Look book and always kept in touch with him and Peggy, swapping stories and drinking his own brew of black coffee (the type you can stand a spoon in and it would either dissolve or stand straight up), while choking on his never ending cigarette smoke. Anyway, I felt like I had 'connected' with Dean and it really grieved me when he passed away, especially as it seemed that part of it could be blamed on the hospital treatment he got. When Mark and Mark told me they were off to help Peggy go through Dean's stuff, I asked if they could bring me some small memento of this great man. I checked with Peggy and she was cool about it, too, as she said how Dean looked forward to our sadly infrequent meetings. A few weeks later, when I was next over in SoCal, at a DQ evening, Mark and Mark came up to me and said 'We know Dean would have liked you to have this' and gave me a penknife. Now this was (is) no ordinary penknife. It had a blade worn down to almost nothing and had tiny splatters of purple paint on it. This was the penknife Dean carried with him throughout his racing life, using it to gap spark plugs at the track. It is priceless and the most treasured thing I own and I owe it all to Mark and Mark. Two great people. two outspoken know it alls ( ;)) and two of the most fsacinating people I've met. Mark, Mark, Dean and Peggy, I thank you all. God bless. Title: Re: Mark Riley, RIP Post by: WCB Hitler's Hot Rod on July 27, 2007, 05:22:40 am Very sorry to hear that. What was the cause? God bless!
Title: Re: Mark Riley, RIP Post by: Donny B. on July 28, 2007, 02:10:12 am Any more info on what happened?
Title: Re: Mark Riley, RIP Post by: stealth67vw on July 28, 2007, 02:42:24 am Heart failure :'(
http://www.cal-look.com/forum/index.php?topic=20847.from1185585311;topicseen#msg213945 Title: Re: Mark Riley, RIP Post by: Russell on July 30, 2007, 11:27:45 am Im totally shocked at this news, Mark passed on some very special Deano items to me last year and as as mentioned before was using the money for medical treatment, i did have an email recently from him and was under the impression he was on the mend....
MARK. Thanks and RIP, I owe you one, mate. Next year MARK will be remembered by VW Gasser Garage at EBI2, all invited. Russell |