TOPIC: The Demise of Joe Katz and Don Faichney

I just received an e-mail from Ron Kranz asking me to post the demise of Joe Katz and Don Faichney. Ron said, "Gary Smith had Joe as a 4-Winds member I believe. Joe lived in Florida. Had a BMW dealership. Was a master BMW mechanic. Taught airhead tech at many rallies. Don attended our rally. He was known as the kilt miester. Per his Scottish background he wore a kilt. Don sponsored the Return to Trenton Rally. He resided Port Hope, Ontario."

This is indeed sad news.

I'm so sorry to hear that! The international BMW family has lost two of it's foundation pillars and most well-known Ambassadors. They were both past members and good friends of 4 Winds over the years though they hailed from Canada and Florida.

We met Joe at the first 4 Winds rally we attended, at Buttercup where he and Peter Bombar gave us "motorcycle camping 101" lessons. From there on he was at just about every event we ever went to. He would ask if he was allowed to stay at Redbank after our rally was over until it was time for the next connection in his "summer rally and friends" tour.

I remember the day I ran into Joe at Lee's European MC's store after he'd had a frustrating off-course route from way up north down Rt. 8 with traffic for hours and was able to lead him, riding my bike, through Wexford's traffic and safely head hiim toward Gary Smith's house. . When Parkinsons was taking it's toll on his motorcycling ability, he packed up his VW Jetta and continued his summer circuit still sleeping on the ground when most folks have retired to their living room's LazyBoy decades ago.

Our first MOA National was in Trenton Ontario when The Kiltmeister was rally chair. He helped us get a great room in the nearby Air Force base hotel. As Vonnie Glaves said in the MOA thread, the Bagpipe Band he arranged was goose-bump raising. One of my fav picts from that rally is of the military babpipe guys sitting on my F650!

Time to dig through my pictures . . .

MOA Forum thread for Don

MOA Forum thread for Joe