Remembering jhaas

Damn. I was looking forward to seeing Tom at the next Mitty. Thanks for letting us know.

Man, Tom too? :(

Tom was awesome, damn that's just more really bad news.

I will miss him when we sit around the spa/camp/cars/bench racing with a beer.

this makes me extremely sad.

Tom too?

Condolences to his friends and family. He too will be missed...

Wow. Jon was actually the guy who bought my ex-g/f's husband's 911 that was returning to the earth. Wish I'd gone out to meet him when he came down to pick it up. I don't ever think I realized he was just up in Knoxville. Hell, I would have made that run just to check out the Yacht Club. Anything we can do for the family?

And Karl, damn shame to hear about Tom as well. That guy was one of a kind.

I can remember every time I have had tears of sadness in my eyes since I was a kid. And I have them now. Jon was one of those people who were just bigger than life. I remember helping him with his windshield in the Opel the first Challenge I ever went to. I remember the ramps failing as he and his people were taking the car off of the trailer. I am truly glad that I met him....one of the nicest, most sincere people I have ever met. My heart goes out to his family. I am so sorry for them; the more I think about his family losing him the more I weep.... Rest in peace, Jon. I love you, man.

Jon Haas-the best friend a pile of parts ever had.

-Les

In reply to David S. Wallens:

Wow--what an impressive life!

I literally choked up reading it. I'm sad for his family.

aussiesmg wrote: Tom was awesome, damn that's just more really bad news. I will miss him when we sit around the spa/camp/cars/bench racing with a beer.

I can't imagine a Challenge without Tom. RIP.

The 49er project was one of the first things I saw when I discovered GRM. First thought was "I'm gonna like it around here". Never knew about the yacht club, sounds like a cool place.

I spoke to Tom briefly at the Challenge. We were both looking over one of the cars and got to talking about all the neat ideas that people seemed to generate every year. I had no idea he was so ill. He seemed like a pretty neat dude. My condolences .

I didn't know Tom, but I feel like I knew Jon pretty well. I seriously feel sick to my stomach. Jon, you're an awesome dude and an inspiration. RIP brother.

Makes you wanna quit your job and get living life before its too late.

People say "work hard so you can retire!" but I've seen too many die early.

aussiesmg wrote: Our little corner of the world just got a little bit worse.

This. I remember meeting him at the $2006 Challenge, hell of a great guy. Rest in peace Jon and thanks for being here.

Karl La Follette wrote: Rip

Oh, man. It's been a rough time in GRM land. Rest in peace, Tom.

Sad news. We lost a couple of good ones.

We where at the Mitty In the Taco joint on I think saturday night and it was a storming . Lightning cracked a boomer kABLAM , we ducked for cover and out of the blue we heard Tom scream Yee hawwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww . aBOUT the funniest thing we ever felt in our hearts. I could not talk about Tom's passing until I seen this thread about Jon .It was like finally I can thread jack and talk about his passing . I have been working super hard on my MGA coupe in his honor . Damn I miss him .

Somebody should chronicle Tom's acts of revenge upon his children, as they are the stuff of legend. He had me literally in tears as he waxed on about how hard it was for teenagers to tell that a bottle of whiskey had been "watered down" with urine.

I didn't know him as well as some here, but in my short time with Tom I considered him a friend faster than most. He was just like that.