Dean was a good friend since the days he'd come cruisin thru the campus of Wilson Jr. High in his salt and peppers, throwing his paper route, and Huntzinger and I would throw him in the bushes, time and again. He finally gained our respect and was welcomed to our click. Dean and I shared a dive apartment at 1111 E. Walnut, when he broke his back racing motorcycles in 1968. That was a very hard blow to the whole group.
Photo is from March '68, and one of the last I have when Dean could still walk. The bike was a 'loner' named Arnold that we each raced at one time or another. l-r Hensley, Huntzinger, Hughes. Dean started collecting antique motorcycles in the 70s- 80s. The family still has a bunch of them that they show, including 'Worlds Fastest Indian' We were all 42 yo when he was killed on the Pasadena freeway one night. As the story goes, he fell out of his van that spun out, and ran over himself. He had a huge group of friends.
Hensley was one of a kind. We all took shop class at Wilson. Thanks to Vinny , Steve and Dean I learned how to weld and braize. We all built 20" motor bikes with lawn mower engines, no brakes , direct drive. I cant remember how many times we set the palm tress ablaze at Eaton Canyon park , but it was alot. We owned the hood. Great times with great friends.......
Dean and I lived across the street from each other ( on Del Mar Blvd), 1/2 block east of Wilson Jr. hi.
during junior/senior high days. We would build model cars from local model shop. We would coerse one of our fathers to drive us to PHS for swimming ( in summer time ) and the other to pick us up - had a blast.
We used to go to San Gabriel Drag Strip with Mike and Betty Walker ( lived further east on Del Mar) on Saturday nites during the summer time. Fell in love with the sport.
After high school I married, had kids, moved away and didn't see Dean again till after his accident.
Re-met him at a car/motorcycle show - filled me in on his accident. Sad.
William Hughes
Dean was a good friend since the days he'd come cruisin thru the campus of Wilson Jr. High in his salt and peppers, throwing his paper route, and Huntzinger and I would throw him in the bushes, time and again. He finally gained our respect and was welcomed to our click. Dean and I shared a dive apartment at 1111 E. Walnut, when he broke his back racing motorcycles in 1968. That was a very hard blow to the whole group.
Photo is from March '68, and one of the last I have when Dean could still walk. The bike was a 'loner' named Arnold that we each raced at one time or another. l-r Hensley, Huntzinger, Hughes. Dean started collecting antique motorcycles in the 70s- 80s. The family still has a bunch of them that they show, including 'Worlds Fastest Indian' We were all 42 yo when he was killed on the Pasadena freeway one night. As the story goes, he fell out of his van that spun out, and ran over himself. He had a huge group of friends.
Bill Dunlap
Hensley was one of a kind. We all took shop class at Wilson. Thanks to Vinny , Steve and Dean I learned how to weld and braize. We all built 20" motor bikes with lawn mower engines, no brakes , direct drive. I cant remember how many times we set the palm tress ablaze at Eaton Canyon park , but it was alot. We owned the hood. Great times with great friends.......
Claude (Butch) Leach
Dean and I lived across the street from each other ( on Del Mar Blvd), 1/2 block east of Wilson Jr. hi.
during junior/senior high days. We would build model cars from local model shop. We would coerse one of our fathers to drive us to PHS for swimming ( in summer time ) and the other to pick us up - had a blast.
We used to go to San Gabriel Drag Strip with Mike and Betty Walker ( lived further east on Del Mar) on Saturday nites during the summer time. Fell in love with the sport.
After high school I married, had kids, moved away and didn't see Dean again till after his accident.
Re-met him at a car/motorcycle show - filled me in on his accident. Sad.
Dean was a good guy, may he RIP.