Just about anyone who's been around for a while in the Northeast known Red McCormick. He's one of the original been there done that guys from the East. As a young guy he worked for Ed Almquist putting together shifters and later worked for George Hurst as a draftsman designing all those Hurst Motor Mounts and other products we all needed to get our cars on the road. Red was quite a story teller to the point that you often wondered how much was real and how much was BS. Well I was talking to Ed Almquist when he was at the TyRods Old Timers Reunion and Red walks up and asks Ed if he remembers him. Ed politely says that he can't quite place him. So Red starts telling Ed what he did for him and describing in great detail how the shop was set up, who he worked with, how things were organized, etc., etc. and Ed's face lit up and you could tell Red was bringing back memories from 50+ years prior. So let's not be sad, other than for the fact that we've lost a great rodder and story teller who's left to join George Hurst and all the others he knew. Let's hear your Red stories.... R.I.P Red <TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD class="Large Heading TopPadSmall" vAlign=bottom width="55%">Robert "Red" McCormick</TD><TD width="1%"></TD><TD class=TopPadSmall align=right width="44%"></TD></TR><TR><TD class="Notice TopPadSmall" colSpan=3>McCORMICK, Robert "Red" Robert "Red" McCormick of Glastonbury and East Hartford passed away peacefully Monday (November 19, 2007) at the age of 73. Robert was born in Scranton, PA on June 25, 1934 to J. Russell McCormick and Eleanor Dougher. He served in the US Navy in Korea and The Suez Canal. He had a vast knowledge and love of antique, race, classic, custom, hot rod and one-of-a-kind automobiles. He loved antique toys as well. All of which made him many friends over the years. He was a founding member of the Carlisle Auto Flea Market. He never missed a show since 1975. He was a member of one of the oldest car clubs in the area "The Carbs" and also Custom Kemps of America and N.E.A.R. a race car club. He was creative and loved to tell stories. His lasting creation is the 1934 GMC Hot Dog Truck in East Hartford, for his loving companion of 30 years Martha (Maggie) Addington-McCormick. He also leaves behind his son Robert P. McCormick and wife, Bonnie McCormick of Manchester; daughter Julie Ann McCormick of East Hartford; his sister Patricia Moran and husband Emerson of Palm Beach Gardens, FL; two nephews Joseph McCormick of Bristol and Patrick McCormick of East Hartford; a sister-in-law Frances McCormick of West Virginia and cousins in Carbondale, PA. He also leaves a special friend Gail Hacker of Glastonbury. He was predeceased by his twin brothers Russell and John McCormick and his nephews Daniel McCormick. Robert's family is very grateful to the staff of Hartford Hospital's I.C.U. for the great care he received. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated on Monday, November 26 at 11 a.m. at St. Isaac Jogues Church, 1 Community St., East Hartford followed by burial in Silver Lane Cemetery. Family and friends may call at the John F. Tierney Funeral Home, 219 West Center St., Manchester on Sunday from 4-7 p.m. Memorial donations may be made to Myrtle Clabby Pulmonary Fund at Hartford Hospital, Fund Development Office, 80 Seymour St., PO Box 5037, Hartford, CT 06102.</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE><TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD class="Large Heading TopPadSmall" vAlign=bottom width="55%"></TD><TD width="1%"></TD><TD class=TopPadSmall align=right width="44%"></TD></TR><TR><TD class="Notice TopPadSmall" colSpan=3></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
wow thats to bad ,red was a good guy - when he did the swaps he always had some cool stuf to sell -i scored a bullnose for my 51 chevy fromhim -didnt he own a green shoebox ford tha was in the little books i think it was built by a guy named hal hutchins , he also punched louvers back in the day to --fun guy to talk to ---- RIP -----red joe
This sucks!Red was instrumental in the salvation of many an old custom including the Sam Barris Buick!
A sad day indeed.I used to see Red at the Ty-Rods Reunion every year and even though he was in a lot of pain he always had a smile on his face and a good word for everyone he spoke with.I particularly remember him and Kelsey Martin going back and forth at each other(good-naturedly of course).The Olds-powered green Ford sedan seemed to be his favorite even though the dropped drag link was so low you couldn't drive over a 2X4 successfully. Godspeed Red;it was a pleasure to know and talk with you.Sadly another name to be added to the ever-growing list of New England rodders on the Father's Day Memorial Run. Thanks for posting this Dennis.
I grew up only one town over from where Red lived. I think I have known him since about the time I learned to walk. I am only 38, and I looked at Red as one of the pioneers in the custom world, here in Connecticut anyway. I don't think there was a custom around that he didn't have an intamate knowledge of. He drove that green shoebox around proudly for years. I remember as a high schooler I didn't get the impact and the history of the car. Red taught me alot about the history of it all. These last few years Red was working part time for an auto paint store. Every time he would deliver our stuff to the shop I would stop whatever I was doing and spend ten minutes catching up with him. I find it sad to know that I will never have one of those chats again.
I also grew up a town over from Red. He and my pop (Nick) knew each other for years, I think since the late '50s. Red flatbedded my '55 Buick home to Manchester Ct from Chicopee MA for gas money. Then on the way home, HE bought coffee for the two of us. Man the stories and memories I have of him growing up-like the time he delivered a chopped 49-50 Merc body to my dads house. I climbed under the backside to undo the chains and he yelled "look out for that snake"-I don't know how I didn't kill myself jumping out from undereath the car but when I got up off the ground, he was laughin his butt off. NO, there was no snake. Or the harassment he gave me when I introduce him to my girlfrined at the time(now my wife). To clean it up a little, he mentioned how much prettier she was (is) than the last girl he saw me with. Or watching him paint a trunk in his drive way in East Hartford, or the VW Squareback Red bought with a 500" Caddy motor and transaxle in the rear. Have you ever pulled up to someones house and seen an armoured truck parked on the street with a forsale sign on it? These are just some of my stories of Red. To listen to some of the stories my dad has, or the day Red and Don Gallant spent an afternoon in the speed shop telling tales-those were good tales. The Green shoebox was originally built around 1957 and was out of hte San Francisco area as I recall his story. It was a little page car with an Olds mill and Cad/LaSalle box. He drove the crap out of the car for years. I was disappointed when he sold it to Rudy, but he needed the money (as many of us do at some point)-the most frustrating thing to me was that I had the money to buy it then but never knew it was for sale. It is still around, but has an SBC drive line and has lost its 'look'. still green but not as cool. How about the red Model A lumber truck he had for years. Nothing like a Model AA with an 8ft bed from the factory. Like so many others who knew him, I will miss Red like a family member. In some ways he was one to me. God Bless you Red. Joe Nericcio.
Was just working on my sled tonight and as I polished the louvered rear panels i thought of my late friend Red McCormick. Miss ya Red I love all the louvers ya put on my car and all the cool stories at your garage in East Hartford. I will never forget them. Also thanks again for letting me pinstripe your green 50 Ford after the paint restoration. I'll never forget that my brushes got to lay some paint on such a nostalgic 50's creation. The Burt Hamrol 50 ford.
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