<VV> Vaun Hamlin

[Arjay Morgan]

March 22, 2005
Corvairland lost one of the great ones today.
Vaun Hamlin, formerly of Pittsburgh and now of Sun
City Center, Florida passed away this afternoon,
peacefully, in East Bay Hospital.

Vaun was the proud owner of the 'Vair that graced the
cover of the June, 2004 Corsa Communique, and what a
car it is. He was proprietor of Hamlin's Garage & Body
Shop in the Pittsburgh suburb of Bridgeville for over
50 years. Before he retired to Florida he did a
typical corvair thing; he painted his 4-door, hardtop,
Monza with some amazing prism paint. Depending on
where you were, and where the sun was, the car was
either gold, or plum, or violet and dozens of shades
inbetween.

HE set records with tricked-out dragster Greenbriers
and all of the Hamlin trucks were -- Corvairs.

Vaun came to Florida and infused the small group of
Corvair fanatics that traveled with him and his wife
Charlotte with knowlege and enthusiasm that only a
true Corvair lover could share.

Generous to a fault, he took me under his wing when it
was time to rebuild/repaint/rehab our 64 Monza
convertible. During that process he drove the 70 mile
roudtrip from his place to mine, got me to work way
before decent people are awake, and saw to it that I
learned all the neat bodywork tricks you learn after
50 years in the business. No, he didn't let me cut
corners, but we didn't work stupid either.

If you get the feeling from this tribute to a great
Corvarian that I admired him, and will miss him,
you're right.  Of late he suffered a recurrence of
lymphoma which was treated with chemotherapy. He
thought he had it beat, but little by little, and much
to his frustration, the medical problems increased. He
spent his last three weeks in the hospital, fighting
all the way, until there just wasn't any Vaun left
anymore.

Final arrangements are much in the air at this point.
Our small, outlaw band of Corvarians will be gathering
'round Charlotte to give her every bit of support we
can, and somewhere on my '64 there's gonna be a plaque
that says "Vaun was here."

Arjay Morgan
63 Monza convert
missing Vaun


		
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