Last week I attended Mary's service and she might have been Queen/Mother to us but at the service she was a beloved grandmother. I now only live one town over and I'm sad that I failed to visit her for sometime. My plan was to drive over in my 1956 t-bird with my 7 year old twin granddaughters this year to show Mary. You see my little girl (their mother) used to play and get dirty in Don and Mary's garage. I did drive to her service in the t-bird. Most everyone has someone in their lives that they can point to that helped them along the way. In my case Don and Mary changed my life. I'm now 78 but when I was 18 I first went to their house looking for a car part. They introduced me to the world of racing and to Bonneville in particular. Don gave me a key to his shop/garage and for several years I worked on my race car and race boat almost every night. From those beginnings I went on to win races as a unlimited hydroplane driver, member of the 200 MPH club, win poles and a race as a NASCAR engine builder, and start a successful data acquisition company. I'm sure none of this could have happen without the West's influence. I also thought Mary would live forever so my real message would be to take the time to stay connected to your friends because you don't know when they might be gone.
