R.I.P. Marc''Top Hat"Fenyo..Thanks for the brush!

It is with great sadness that I report the passing of a very well known show striper, Marc "Top Hat” "Fenyo.
Well known from the K.K.O.A. and N.S.R.A. circuits on the east coast, Marc had a very distinguished, mathematically perfect,"crossing S curve" style that was very repititious but very much his own!
This really hit home for me because it was Marc who gave me my first brush about 19 years ago in Gettysburg Pa after he had just finished striping Ed Guffeys Doug Thompson built 50 Ford convert with it.
As my career progressed, I’d often wonder what hed think of the striping I was doing or if he knew what became of me.
The last time I saw him he was about to throw down on a 50 Merc and he said,"It shall be superb, I’m in that kind of mood"

 

Too bad. I'm sure he left many happy customers. RIP

 

is this the Top Hat that ran all around the atlanta area????

very intersting guy....

 

Yes,Thats him..

 

Anthony, I'm sorry to hear this, that has to be hard for you. wow, we've seen him at so many shows over the yrs. Had he been ill?

Thoughts and prayers with you and his family and friends

 

how did he pass...was drugs involved..he told me before he striped my caddy he had to get LIT...to bad..rip

 

Saw him striping at Dixie Fried last year. Quite a character. Sorry to hear the news.

 

I know the guy liked to burn but I really dont know what the cause was.

 

met him once at pigeon forge.....i was pulling my wagon down the strip doing some striping.....he asked if i had a brush he could buy...gave him a extra....never did see him after that....quite a character.....seen him a couple weeks ago on the speed channel on the forza challenge show or what ever it was called.....brandon

 

here's a little more.....

the big picture actually hangs in my dinning room, found it last year at Dixie Fried, it was from the year prior before he stripped my car....

and a little of his work

 

Sorry to hear about Mr. Fenyo.

 

I remember talking to him, not sure what issue of Time magazine, but he was proud to be the only striper ever featured in it....from the 50's...anyone know of which time it was???

here's a pic of his business card....

the back is hard to read only because i'm kinda camera stupid...but is goes as follows...

The design on the other side was created freehand in a matter of minutes using only a paint brush and without the aid of computer or any kinda measuring device

The paint brush used to execute this specialized form of calligraphy is called a sword. In the trade, the dedicated few who mastered the sword were called Swordsman


Marc Fenyo . Swordsman


RIP Marc

 

OK, almost done here...


http://www.independentmail.com/obits/2007/apr/30/marc-fenyo/


http://www.whitlockmortuary.net/Obituaries.html

 

I got the call sat. he had cancer for a whille

 

Sorry To Of His Passing He Was A Icon Of The Hobby

 

Damn - RIP Tophat. That guy was everywhere. Nice guy. Very sad indeed.

 

Godspeed, R.I.P.

 

Met him at Dixie Fried and again at the Swap Meet.
He made two very different impressions.
His obituary is interesting.
I never new he was in the Military.
You just never know who you are going to bump into, do you ?

Jeff, thanks for the pics and the links.
I put together a document for Jonathan so he might understand who "The guy in the Top Hat" was.

 

Rip

 

Hate it when we lose a real "Craftsman". RIP

 

He striped my son's base ball batting helmet a couple years ago. Helluva character. He was at my show and said it was too windy to stripe, so he was going to "go home and get stoned." You know, the way any of us would say "go home and eat dinner." Among other things, he was almost deaf.

He was fascinating to watch--my wife is a graphic artist, and it always impressed her that his designs were perfectly symetrical. The right and left sides were always perfectly even.

Shame.

-Brad

 

RIP Ive only met the man once and he striped el poncherello at the Turkey Rod Run. And when I wasnt looking he snuck over and wrote "mike eats pussy" about my driver side door hahahaha! Really neat guy and he will be missed

 

He was a character for sure. Saw him at Dixiefried plus he even ventured into the upstate of S.C. for The Blueridge Festival(which is this weekend btw). Funny story he started striping a customer of ours 32 Plymouth a couple of years ago. When he had finished doing an intricate and beautiful job he turned a told the guy the price. Well the customer balked and said it wasn't worth that at which point he pulled a rag out soaked it in laquer thinner and whiped the image away from the metal. He then put his stuff into his carry all contraption and walked away withhout another word. I wonder if that guy had(has) a clue. RIP
SHane T.

 

When our club put on Fun Sunday ( 400 to 500 cars 1 day ) here in Columbia SC ... he always came up and stayed busy. He slept in his car ... he would stay around for a few days before drifting off somewhere else.

I never knew his real name, just Tophat.

RIP.

 

HAHAA The Mike easts pussy thing haha I remember that. Heres some of his work on the back of my 46, but I painted over it a few months ago.

 

Ive known marc about 20 years or more. He striped my 60 pntiac dash about 88 in gettysburg. He could walk up to a car and with a striping brush paint a perfect circle. He had skills and showmanship that few stripers have. he just gave me a lettering brush in daytona and told me "your starting to get it" or something like that after looking at my roadster. Cool guy. A master of the art.

 

Top hat and his little wagon of paint.
that pic is cool Jeff. i think I will have to look for one with him in it.
He was truly a unique person that was the master of striping and lettering.I could watch him for hours. Last I saw him was at the local car show here. i enjoyed talking to him hearing his stories. he will be truly missed.

 

Sorry to hear that. He did the turtle deck of my roadster in the 90's - I think it was the at the Turkey Rod Run. Used to see him from Florida to Cincinnati, ( at the Pumpkin Run) where he pinstripe flamed the '27 T roadster of a friend. Funny dude - REALLY enjoyed talking to him...

Mutt