John Schaefer

[RichO]

This is an appreciation and acknowledgment of John Schaefer's life. He was a devoted husband, father, grandfather, and a European theater WW2 veteran. He was a master machinist and motorcycle builder. He was also my good friend and mentor for forty years. John told me that when he was a young man in Southern California he and his friends would go to the drive-in movies on their motors and sit on them in the back row and watch the show. He would go on runs and attend field meets with the LA 45's a local m/c club of which Paul Bigsby of Crocker fame was president. He worked for Jack and Cordy Milne and "Lammy" Lamoreux"s, well know late thirties speedway racers, shop as their mechanic in Glendale. Just around the corner was the saw sharpening shop of Max Bubeck and his brother. Max and John went to school together. John also worked with racer Dick Milligan when Dick had a brake shop across the street from Hughes Aircraft in Culver city. Joe Petrali would bring Howard's personal aircraft brakes over for them to reline. John was also an instructor at LA Technical Institute. His favorite story of that experience was when Willie G Davidson was a student there and his father was so furgal (read cheap) to give him a large enough food allowance that Willie's uncle would send John money to see his nephew had enough to eat. While john lived in SoCal he also worked for a large import and distributor of English motorcycles all over the states. John would travel around to the dealerships and instruct their mechanics on the maintenance and repair of the new models. Eventually John and Jean relocated to Sacramento. John had a successful machine shop just north of C St. downtown which he later moved close to Arden and Del Paso Blvd. Later he moved his equipment to the new shop he built at his home off Arden Blvd. John built the Norton motors that powered Jorge Jorgenson's successful flattracker that was the last of the British machines to contend with the Harleys. The Harley J model was his favorite machine and especially the JDH 'two-cam' model. John built and rode a brute of a stroked bobjob "two cam". His son "Little John" enjoys that machine today. He completed precision military projects for Raytheon, projects for Custom Chrome, repair work for the Sacramento H-D dealership, and many, many, more private customer projects from his home workshop. John was the last living founder, of the original twelve, of the local AMCA Fort Sutter Chapter and it's second president. As a testament to his motor building skills was the Indian 101 Scout motor he did for me. For about fifteen years I rode that motor hard and could not kill it. It resides in New Jersey now and may see the Race of Gentlemen this year. it's new owner is an Oiler club member. John would be proud. My favorite memories are the weekly meetings in his kitchen with Chuck Otis, Jerry Cordy, Benny "the Dentist", and whoever else dropped by. We won old battles, solved old mysteries, and exchanged several lifetimes of mechanical knowledge. We all have a limited time on this small orb in space. John used his well as his family and many, many, friends will attest to. A finer gentleman I have yet to meet and I will miss his wisdom and kind words. Rest in peace old friend your work is done here.

[exeric]

That is a beautifully written tribute to you friend. John sounds like the kind of guy we all wish we had known. My deepest condolences to his family, and friends.