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Posted by: VaccaRabite Jan 31 2024, 02:00 PM

I got word today that one of the 914Worlds old guard, Ray Gonsalves (aka firstknight13) passed on Jan 25.

https://www.holmeswatkins.com/obituary/William-Gonsalves

Ray hasn't been on the World since 2019, but he was a fixture at World events here in the Mid-Atlantic and North-East about 15 years ago.

He'd head out from his home in CT, and get to my house in PA several hours later. Or Virginia. Or Maryland. Or where ever the party was. He had this trippy poly-chromeatic 914, open the door and the smoke would come billowing out. It was classic. He never missed the Knights Inn party before and after Hershey Swap. He usually had his son Sean with him.


Tail end of a Hershey Swap. Maybe 2008?
Ed Morrow and Ray are talking about something to the left, his son Sean is either talking with Mike or checking out Noel in the background. Or both. Hard to say.


Ray is in the red plaid right out in front as usual. Front fender of his color changing 914 is on the right.


https://live.staticflickr.com/227/476236250_40d91c67c5_b.jpg
Same set of pictures. Ray inthe red, his son Sean on the right.


Ray is third from the left, in front (as usual). :-) East Coast Cookout, 2006 I think. My first 914 event - it may even pre-date World, from back in the 914Club days.

Zach

Posted by: rmital Jan 31 2024, 02:45 PM

...always enjoyed running into Ray at events (back in the good ole days)
the hey Ray....hey Ray never got old
sad news
great video on the obit page

Posted by: SirAndy Jan 31 2024, 02:51 PM

I'll update the nailed thread. The list is getting long ...

Posted by: ejm Jan 31 2024, 05:33 PM

Sad to hear of Ray's passing.. he was a fun and upbeat guy.. RIP

Posted by: campbellcj Jan 31 2024, 06:03 PM

RIP Ray. Always sad to see these threads pop up.

Posted by: r_towle Jan 31 2024, 07:10 PM

That sucks. He was a good man.

Posted by: infraredcalvin Jan 31 2024, 09:48 PM

RIP. Thanks for posting your memories…

Posted by: jd74914 Jan 31 2024, 10:31 PM

Sad news.

Nice guy with quite a personality. I used to love seeing him and his chromatic 914 around town. I haven't seen it in quite a while.

Posted by: VaccaRabite Jan 31 2024, 11:12 PM

I think it got dinged at some point, and Ray was saying it had to be totally repainted due to the color change paint not blending well.

He was also taking it apart to go 5 lug. I drifted away from the scene for several years when my marriage fell apart and when I came back in he wasn’t turning up any more. We would chat over FB but I never thought to ask what happened to the car.

Zach

Posted by: rick 918-S Feb 1 2024, 06:45 AM

I remember him from Hershey. Another one gone.

Posted by: Cairo94507 Feb 1 2024, 08:38 AM

RIP

Posted by: ChrisFoley Feb 1 2024, 11:48 AM

Ray was saving up to do a Suby conversion, but last time I saw the car it was slipping downhill faster than Ray could keep up with it. He stopped by my shop to say hi last year.
Rip, Ray. I'll spark one up in your memory later today.

Posted by: burton73 Feb 1 2024, 11:58 AM

Just sad to lose a 914bud, sad to lose anybody but this is life. Enjoy each day as we never know.

RIP.