Corvette Action Center Loses a Valued Member

[Toy4Hal]

Ken "Gearhead" Stapel

S-TEE (Scott) was referring to he, Brad Chang, and I spending the day Saturday help Bill Stapel "sort out" Ken's garage area. At first it looked like an insurmountable task. Ken shared a 2 car garage with a neighbor. But the neighbor only had room for his car. The rest was occupied by Ken's "stuff".
"Stuff" everywhere. Yet, once we got into it we saw how well organized Ken was. He had a system with a "home' for everything. Of course, first we had to figure out Ken's "system". We did and got things spread out and identifiable for Bill

We moved Ken's Corvette outside so we could have room to work. It did not start (low battery) but of course Ken had an industrial strength battery charger/starter so we put it on charge and went on with our work. Later in the day, Bill actually started the 'Vette (perhaps to the dismay of some neighbors who never did like the "sound"). Actually no issue with that yesterday, although one of neighbors on hearing Bill would keep the 'Vette said he would help get some mufflers on her! She is loud!

Ken had a personal computer in the garage area. On it we found a lot of pictures of various phases of Ken's life with cars, bikes, etc. We will attempt to capture these for a "photo collage" at the memorial on Saturday. If I can figure out how, I will post a few on here.

As Scott alluded to, Bill Stapel's current thought is to keep the 'Vette. Of course, he will want to try and get it more "streetable", thus, reliable so he can do the cruises. Plus he will need to get her more "presentable". Some of you know Ken was chasing down some electrical issue(s) when he took ill. He had the whole dash area wide open as well as the shifter console area. We had to "search" among the wires near the shifter to find the window switches! There will be an attempt to get her "packaged up" for presentation at the memorial. The car will be there no matter what!

I saw reference to Ken's collection of printed Corvette material. He did have a lot of books on 'Vettes. But he was not limited to 'Vettes. As Scott indicated, if it moved, with a motor, Ken was all over it. So, his "collection" goes way beyond Corvettes.

Ken has a 16 year old nephew who is a "budding gearhead", albeit with his first car being a BMW! Ken's nephew will get "first dibs" on all the stuff. He certainly wants the tools. He may want the books.

Beyond books, I brought home about 30 boxes of car magazines. I offered to sort them out for Bill and see if they had any value. Of course, anal Ken had them all in special magazine boxes, with indicators of what was in each box, so sorting it out will not be tough.

Like Scott, many of us will miss Ken this summer as the cruises start up (yes, even we So Cal people stay in for the winter!). Ruby's has lost it's "Corvette Anchor".

"Save the Wave".

 

[hoosierdaddy]

We moved Ken's Corvette outside so we could have room to work.

Sounds like a major task but a trip back in history to say the least. Got any pictures of Ken's Vette you can post?

Bill

 

[Edmond]

There will be an attempt to get her "packaged up" for presentation at the memorial. The car will be there no matter what!

I mean no disrespect here but I think it should be kept the way it is for the memorial instead of anyone else trying to envision where Ken envisioned it going.

I think it should be left that way also because it will really show the spirit of the man who loved that car and worked on it until his health would not permit.

Maybe to some who aren't into cars, they won't understand what a car can mean to those who do like cars. But when they see how Ken fiddled with that car for years, they'll see a piece of him.

 

[S-TEE]

Sounds like a major task but a trip back in history to say the least. Got any pictures of Ken's Vette you can post?

Bill

There was one in my post above... ...here's another....

 

[WhalePirot]

Ken has a 16 year old nephew who is a "budding gearhead", albeit with his first car being a BMW!

I certainly understand that, as I consider my 7 a 5-seater Vette!

Ken's nephew will get "first dibs" on all the stuff. He may want the books.

Surely, and I never meant to interfere. I just suggested it as 1) some may not know of the museum's new expansion, 2) it would be a way for Ken to continue giving to the community, as he did so well and often, and 3) I knew nothing off Ken's family.

I hope to meet more off the SoCal Vette guys who knew Ken better than I did, as things warm up and as my beast gets fixed, after the 'professionals' screwed it up.

 

[b_pappy]

regrets

Sadly my wife and I won't be able to attend Ken's memorial. Our prayers and thoughts go out to his family. Ricky & Ronnie's will never seem quite the same either.
Bruce & Tracy

 

[Viper 10]

Hi Friends,

I am overwhelmed by the outpouring from this site. I thank you for your thoughts & prayers for the Stapel family members and friends who Ken leaves behind.

It is also heartwarming to see that Ken's friends never forgot him and were there for him in spirit. It is an amazing test that he had to go through in his final months where he couldn't drive or hang out with car friends (it was really a stretch for him just to get on his computer and pay his bills). I know that Ken did visit this site to read some of the wonderful well wishes that you guys sent to him while he was battling his health problems. It truly meant alot to him.

To add to what Scott & Hal have said is hard to top. Let me say that as Ken went through his trials in his final months, he realized that as important as his cars might have been; that his faith, friends and family were far more important. Seeing Ken's evolution from a person who had quite a bit of pride to being transformed into someone who developed a real relationship with his Lord & Savior was amazing to witness. I realize now that only God can transform a persons heart and that is exactly what God did to Ken.

I have no doubt that Ken is in Heaven smiling down on all of us. The best thing that we can do as his friends is to keep his legacy alive and do our best to try to emmulate his acts of generosity and kindness on the remainder of our journey.

Here is an invite for an early morning cruise that I sent out earlier this evening to some of Ken's friends:

Hi Friends:

<o></o>
We are having a memorial service and cruise for one of my car buddies Ken Stapel on Saturday. As a promise that I made to my good friend (just before he passed away) I am bringing his nephew Alex on a cruise down to Cars & Coffee. He is a real car nut just like his uncle. It is my goal to feed Alex’s thirst for cars by taking him to these wonderful car gatherings and track events so that he will be equipped to carry on his uncle’s legacy.<o></o>


Ken was a tremendous evangelist of the car lifestyle and was always helping people in need of advice or a strong back to get them back on the road. Unfortunately, after a long wait for a liver transplant, his tired body gave out. The good news is that he solidified his relationship with his Lord & Savior and also realized that there was nothing to fear about dying. He made the best of his last 6 months and went with dignity and grace. I have attached of my favorite photo of Ken and his C4 Corvette beast.<o></o>


If you would like to join us on a cruise down this coming Saturday, please come along and meet Alex. As much as all car nuts enjoy the cars, those of us who are “the hardcore regulars” enjoy the company of car folks even more. If you see me hanging out on Saturday, please say hi to Alex.<o></o>


For those of you who are interested, we are having a memorial gathering at Ricky & Ronnie’s at 5 o’clock in the afternoon (after a 2 o’clock mass at American Martyrs Church in Manhattan Beach) to reflect and celebrate Ken’s life and passion for cars. Please feel free to join us and bring your rides… Ken wouldn’t have it any other way.



I know that he is smiling down from Heaven (especially after he realized that Heaven is filled with hot rods, muscle and exotics for him to tinker with).<o></o>


I am departing at 6:15 AM from <st1lace w:st="on"><st1:City w:st="on">Manhattan Beach</st1:City></st1lace>.<o></o>


Have a blessed week.<o></o>
Take care,<o></o>
Brad<o></o>

I hope that some of you who live in Southern Cal can join us in this celebration.

Brad

 

[bossvette]

I had always wanted to meet Ken in person but never had the opportunity. I will be there in spirit though.
Enjoy the celebration of Ken's life at Ricky and Ronnies take many pictures to add to his site so we all can feel a part of it.

 

[Toy4Hal]

Ken Stapel Memorial Events

Yesterday was the day for Ken Stapel’s memorial events. First, a ceremony of his life at the American Martyr’s Church in Manhattan Beach, CA. This was followed by a trip down “<?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com

<st1:City w:st=" /><st1:Street w:st="on"><st1:address w:st="on">Memory Lane</st1:address></st1:Street>” at Ricky & Ronnie’s Cruise-In Diner in <st1lace w:st="on"><st1:City w:st="on">Torrance</st1:City>, <st1:State w:st="on">CA</st1:State></st1lace>.

There were 50 – 75 of Ken’s family and friends at the church service. Also a nice display of Corvettes in the parking lot. The priest recognized Ken as a “gear head” and asked what that might be. After a few explanations from the group, he finally understood. The service was a nice send off for Ken.

The crowd at Ricky & Ronnie’s was much larger. I would guess 30-40 Corvettes and about 100 people. We had brought Ken’s ‘Vette over in the morning. To be sure it was there, we actually loaded her onto a trailer to get to the event. However, the car did run.

Before I go any further, a big thanks to the owners and operators of Ricky & Ronnie’s. They hosted this event, including all food and drinks, at no cost to any of us! What and awesome tribute to Ken and his impact on this car gathering establishment. I urge all of you who are in the LA area to patronize this fine restaurant. These are car people who appreciate the special cars and the people who own and drive them. There is a separate parking lot for our cars and a “club house” for hosting car club events or or other such car gathering events. Take your car club, take your friends. But go enjoy a meal and the car people at one of the many car gatherings each week. Call in advance to book your club for a group event.

Ken’s family had put together a slide show of Ken’s life. This was running on the big screen in R & R's clubhouse while people milled about, ate some food, and spoke of their experiences and adventures with Ken. There were a number of casual speakers, talking of how they met Ken (many through the <st1lace w:st="on"><st1laceName w:st="on">Corvette</st1laceName> <st1laceName w:st="on">Action</st1laceName> <st1laceType w:st="on">Center</st1laceType></st1lace>) and the influence he had on them. It was clear that Ken had a lot of friends. Perhaps a lot more than even he realized.

The day came to a close as Bill Stapel started up Ken’s car “one more time” for the group. A fine ending for the life of good friend.

Bill Stapel had decided he would drive the ‘Vette home. I would follow with the trailer in case there were some issues. After a trip to the gas station to add some fuel, off we went. Well, what could be a more fitting end to the day than for a number of us, to once more, push Ken’s car! Yes, she broke down on the drive home. We were able to call back to R & R’s to get some help. 4 cars showed up, people pushed the ‘Vette into a parking lot, where we loaded her onto the trailer.

Ken’s car has had issues many times. You don’t put together a combination race car/street car as he did and expect a “turn the key and go” operation. He was in fact chasing down some electrical problem when he took ill. Now Bill Stapel (who plans to keep the car) will begin down the road to making this car stable and reliable. Look for posts on here from Bill Stapel in the future looking for help.

I have attempted to post a few photos from Saturday. Other people have far more pictures and I expect you will see them shortly.

“Save the Wave”.

 

[hoosierdaddy]

Yesterday was the day for Ken Stapel’s memorial events. First, a ceremony of his life at the American Martyr’s Church in Manhattan Beach, CA. This was followed by a trip down “Memory Lane” at Ricky & Ronnie’s Cruise-In Diner in Torrance, CA.

Just awesome, what a tribute to Ken. Never met the guy but communicated with him here on CAC, sounded like a true gear head for sure. I really enjoyed the tribute and the pictures you posted. Really looking forward to communicating with his brother in the not too distanct future and hearing how he is getting along with Ken's passion, his C-4.

Thanks again for sharing this awesome day with us. This is for Ken ; may he rest in peace, our thoughts and prayers are with the family and his memories, he touched a lot of people.

Bill

 

[Tom Bryant]

Thanks for posting the recap and photos of Ken's memorial. I really wish I could have been there. Please say thanks to the kind folks at Rick & Ronnies from all of Ken's CAC friends that couldn't make the trip out there. I know that there are members here that will try to help Bill in any way that they can to get Ken's car sorted out.

Tom

 

[WarrenGTS]

It was a wonderful church service, and a great gathering later at Ricky & Ronnies to pay tribute to Ken this past Saturday. Great to see and hear his silver '87 beast once again. Mucho thanks to Hal for bringing Ken's car and the trailer, Brad, Scott, Ken's nephew Alex who set up the picture/video, Robert Polk the GM at Ricky & Ronnies, and Bill Stapel, his family and all the friends there.

Will keep Ken Stapel's spirit alive.

That's Ken giving the wave to everyone and me sitting on the right at the 2006 Long Beach Grand Prix. Photo courtesy by Brad Chang.

 

[Viper 10]

Photos of the Memorial Cruise In

Hi Friends:

Ken's service was a memorable one to say the least. It was great to see so many car friends gather to pay their respects and share wonderful memories. I need to point out that the funniest part about the service was when we asking people to come up and share some memories and the usually talkative members of teh Vette Set Club went completely silent...:L No worries though because I know that Ken was smiling down on that perfect day.

Here is a link to the photos that I took on that day

Brad

 

[BlackNBlue95]

Hi Friends:

Ken's service was a memorable one to say the least. It was great to see so many car friends gather to pay their respects and share wonderful memories. I need to point out that the funniest part about the service was when we asking people to come up and share some memories and the usually talkative members of teh Vette Set Club went completely silent...:L No worries though because I know that Ken was smiling down on that perfect day.

Here is a link to the photos that I took on that day

Brad

Thank you for sharing the pics Brad...

This is what it's all about...
-=Rick

 

[Rowdy1]

Thank You Brad

When I read something in print, like here, I have a lot to say in my mind, as feeble and unimportant as it may be and I'm sure IS to a lot of people "smarter" than I. When I see a picture, especially one with REAL meaning for me, I sometimes have nothing to say but a thousand words. The time I spend with people, the minutes without pictures in front of me, be it on a screen or in print, will live in my mind until it ceases to function.

 

[hoosierdaddy]

Ken's service was a memorable one to say the least.

Just awesome pictures and an outstanding memorial for Ken, he will be missed by friends and family but a little bit of him will be with all of us through out this life time.

Bill

 

[SPANISHVETTS]

Thanks to all of you who were able to be there for representing the CAC family.

Thank you for sharing and thank you for being there for Ken's family. Ken deserved our best.

 

[Toy4Hal]

Ken's Magazine Collection

At one point in this thread I mentioned Ken's collection of automobile books and magazines. I believe the Corvette books went to Ken's nephew. I offered to get the magazines out of Ken's apartment and do an inventory.
I have attached pictures of the stuff. (Good thing I'm single - I can't image any wife or GF putting up with this on the living room floor. Of course, it's now off the dining room table!!!)
I have done an inventory of these magazines. It totals 832. That may not be much to some of you but to someone like me who discards such items ASAP, this is "a lot".
Now I'm looking for ideas of what to do with these. I had one referral from this site to a person who sells magazines as an eBay business. I really don't want someone to profit from this unless it was to support Ken's memorial fund.
I have also attached a list of the inventory so you can get a feel for what is there.
"Help"!

Hal

 

[Viper 10]

It was a wonderful church service, and a great gathering later at Ricky & Ronnies to pay tribute to Ken this past Saturday. Great to see and hear his silver '87 beast once again. Mucho thanks to Hal for bringing Ken's car and the trailer, Brad, Scott, Ken's nephew Alex who set up the picture/video, Robert Polk the GM at Ricky & Ronnies, and Bill Stapel, his family and all the friends there.

Will keep Ken Stapel's spirit alive.

That's Ken giving the wave to everyone and me sitting on the right at the 2006 Long Beach Grand Prix. Photo courtesy by Brad Chang.

Hey Warren,

That picture was taken a year ago this week at the Long Beach Grand Prix. I might have to go on Friday as a tribute to Ken... and see the C6R's try to chase down the Audi R10 LMP car or see the Ferrari's pretend to be Nascar racers and bump Porsche's off the track. :L

Brad

 

[hoosierdaddy]

Pretty awesome collection. If they could be sold and the profit given to some type of museum in Ken's honor that would be cool. There is a lot of Ken's life in this collection I'm sure. The thought of you thinking about what is the right thing to do is a special tribute to him already. To some they may just be magizines and to others they are a big share of Ken's life, something he no doubt enjoyed.

Good luck on doing the right thing with them,

Bill