WILL HARTJE - January 24, 1951-June 16, 2009
Will was someone that I always enjoyed seeing at the track. He was good fun to talk to and gave me lots of advice. Even though I haven’t seen him in a while, I think of him fondly. What follows is a personal letter that Larry and Vicki Pond sent out. I thought I’d share it with all of you.
It is with a heavy heart that I have to tell you that our friend Will Hartje passed away last Tuesday of a heart attack. Vicki and I have known Will as a close friend for over 16 years and will miss him greatly.
Will is survived by his wife Sharon, sons Tom of Phoenix, Lawrence with wife Megan of Seattle, and stepdaughter Meaghan of Chandler.
Will has touched many people as our classroom instructor for ASA-ProautoSports events. Over the 10 years he has been with us, he has held class for 5,000-10,000 students and instructed in car with at least 100-200 drivers. His sweet British accent and pleasant way of dealing with his favorite subject of driving was memorable for all of us.
Let me tell you a little bit about Will as I know him. He was born and grew up in London, England. At some point in his life he came to the colony (US) and settled in.
Vicki and I met him one day in 1994 when he came into our race shop, Gemini Racing Systems in Chandler, to purchase a Simpson Helmet, suit and equipment. We really liked Will right away. Later we met his sons Lawrence and Tom and over the years watched them grow up into terrific young men.
We attended his wedding to Sharon a few years ago and there met her daughter Meaghan. The wedding was a beautiful event held at ProAutoSports member Kelly Gallant’s house in Scottsdale. They have been a beautiful and happy couple since then.
In the 1990’s, Will bought a Lola 342 Formula Ford that I owned. He had a lot of fun racing it. He was a very good driver and very fast. He shared my love for that car and often said he would never part with it. He was so proud at the St. Johns Grand Prix one year when he showed up with it painted in British colors with his helmet painted to match.
The first thing he always greeted Vicki with was a British “hello darling”. It was a special greeting that Vicki loved.
Will had time to help anyone, anytime. He was a special friend to us. He always brightened the day when you saw him. To know Will was to love him!
I cannot tell any silly or funny stories about him. Will was fun to be with, but always serious. He left an indelible impression with Vicki and I and we are sure with many of you.
The services are planned for Friday morning June 26th at 11:00 am. You may join us at The All Saints Episcopal Church, 6300 N. Central Avenue, Phoenix AZ 85012.
Please bring cards and notes or send them to Sharon Hartje, 908 W. Pershing Avenue, Phoenix, AZ 85029.
“Will, you are a special Brit member of the ProAutoSports family! You will be greatly missed.”
Sincerely, Larry Pond
August 22nd, 2009 at 3:27 pm
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