RIP Cliff

[dvonk]

tragic, terrible news. RIP Cliff.

[1batt4u]

I did not know who he was, but very sad to hear about this!! R.I.P.

[Mark D]

Wow this is very sad...my thoughts and prayers to his family and friends. I never had the opportunity to meet him but it sounds like he was a well known and well respected member of our community.

[whocruiser]

A wonderful person and a great asset to the community, he will be greatly missed...

[Nicholas R]

As far as speculations to anything outside the loss of Cliff Schmucker (such as Proto), please refrain from any further postings of such things, as this is not an appropriate time to speculate anything.

Thanks Mike, I really appreciate this. Cliff was by far one of my best friends in the DeLorean community. Even more he was a mentor.

It can't even be put into words how great of a person Cliff was. I've been fortunate enough to live 25 minutes from him for the last 7 years. If it weren't for Cliff I doubt I would still own my car. Cliff and Ken both helped and guided me in the restoration of my car as well as gave me the confidence to do my swap. I always looked forward to an opportunity to work with Cliff. He was always there for me. He towed me from a burger king drive through while my accumulator was dumping fuel, stayed up till 4am on weeknights many times working on my car at his shop, loaded his 2000lb pipe bender in my truck with a fork lift so I could borrow it to make my cars new exhaust, talked me through adding bootleg R-12 to my AC from a thousand miles away, let me and a friend pull and all nighter spending 36 hours straight at his building doing a front frame extension replacement, and so much more. He gave and gave and gave so much. I know any time he ever asked for help or for a favor I would jump at the opportunity, rearrange my schedule if necessary, just to try to give back for what he given me. I was in FL when Ed was selling the Supra car and Cliff asked if I'd go check it out for him. Hell yea I jumped at the opportunity! I have so many stories that honestly, I should probably start writing down to try to remember. Dyno days, restoring the Airplane Tug, hanging the dealership sign, long nights prepping for shows, countless parades, sifting through piles and piles of DeLorean Company documentation, hand polishing bolts for the SS frame, staying up late at the DCS hotel bars, so many different Delorean jobs, and much much more.

I was fortunate enough to work with Cliff earlier this month on adjustable rear lower control arms for my car and the Supra car. His methodical way of working was always so amazing. He was practically my idol for both how perfectly and cleanly a job would be done, and for how clean and organized he kept his shop. Just look at the polished SS rolling chassis. That right there speaks volumes about his meticulous care for quality and perfection.

This sucks so much. It feels like such an unfinished story. We had so many big plans. He and I both showed our cars at the Cavalcade of Customs in Cincinnati this year and we spent about 5 days straight discussing future projects. We talked about future ideas for "super DeLoreans", ideas for how to put a body (or something like it) on the SS frame, ways to fix and improve common DMC problems, plans for the Prototype car, and the list goes on...

This is such a loss...

Sorry for going on so much. I feel like I'm rambling. This is still so hard to comprehend.

[Dangermouse]

I have a feeling that the size of Cliff’s contribution to the DeLorean world is perhaps unknown to many on here, outside of the Ohio guys, as he wasn’t an active member or this forum. Many thanks to Nick for those insights.

I certainly wouldn’t claim to “know” him in any way but I am proud to say that I shook his hand at least once. Perhaps, when some healing time has passed, some others closer and more knowledgeable could fill in the gaps.

Here’s what little I know of Cliff in terms of our cars.

He is reported to own a huge (possibly the largest private) collection of DeLorean memorabilia from the DMCL days, and factory documentation. I think it was part of his collection that was on display at DCS in Orlando last year. In addition to Proto-1, I understand that he owned several more cars, including some notable ones like the ex-Johnny Carson car, the Supra-conversion car from Eddie G in FL, and the polished SS (or chromed) frame that was seen at the last DCS. I would speculate that a part of the attraction of holding next year’s DCS in Dayton was as a means of sharing some more of Cliff’s collection with the broader community.

But, more so than his physical collection, I think that it is his personal enthusiasm for the marque, and indeed the man, that set him apart. I understood that he held a very regular tech session at his property (weekly perhaps), that was on my DeLorean Bucket List of activities to attend, freely giving up his time to help other owners. He stored other owners cars during the winter and made new owners dreams a reality. I think he was hugely involved in Josh Q’s car as well as Nick's..


Cliff, say “Hi” to John for us.

Cliff 3.jpg

[DMCMW Julee]

This is such a tragic loss to the DeLorean Community as a whole but even more specifically to the DCO and DCS. Any time I was around Cliff I was impressed by what a wonderful giving person he was. I wish I had had the opportunity to know him the way that many of you did.

My thoughts upon hearing of his passing brought immediate grief for his family but also a sense of some of the pain a few of you who were closest to Cliff would bear. Ken - DCS will never be the same. Josh Q - such an important part of realizing your dream. Nick - your bond with Cliff was evident watching and listening to the two of you at DCS. Mike, Jeremiah, Sean, and on and on and on go the stories of what a generous man Cliff was.

I hope that I am more of a giver than a taker, but there was definitely no question to which side Cliff stood.

Whether a part of the DeLorean Community, the Skydiving Community, or everyone else who had or had yet to connect with Cliff ... we have all lost one of the brightest and the best.

[Jeremy Popp]

This is indeed a tragic turn of events. Nick pretty well summed up how I feel, that was a good post. Not only a contributor to Ohio Deloreans, but on the large scale as well. Just a great all around guy, he will be missed.

stayed up till 4am on weeknights many times

Funny you post this, over the weekend I was telling the story to a Delorean owner of how Cliff helped install all 4 shocks and new front lowering springs in my car years ago. My test drive was at 4:30 am, and I was out of energy... It wasn't even Cliff's car, and he was still determined to help me out - above and beyond. My car is on the road today partly thanks to this man, and his devotion to the Delorean car and it's community.

[DeloreanJoshQ]

I thought I would share my perspective of Cliff through some photos I have taken over the last few years...I'm glad I did....

Cliff left a legacy.....



This was the cold January day back in 2011 (Superbowl Sunday) where Cliff Schmucker handed me the keys to my dream car inside David Bauerle's shop. Cliff gave me the deal of a lifetime. Without him I wouldn't have the experience and car I have today, and for that I am very thankful for getting to know him the past couple of years.


Here we are shortly after we worked together to get 3307 back together:




The below photo is from the last night of DCS 2012. Tony was going over all of the details with Cliff about Proto-1.
I saw the excitement in Cliff's eyes, so I had to take a photo:





These were also some of Cliff's pride and joys, he had so much passion for and felt the need for preservation of DeLorean items of all sizes:



Cliff's shop, open to any DeLorean enthusiast:




Cliff helping out and when you tried to offer something in return he would reply, "Pay it forward"




Cliff and Ken K. These two worked very hard on the DCS shows. Cliff dedicated a lot to help out much of went on "behind the scenes"...


Cliff suprising everyone inside "2JZD":



Cliff had a sense of humor:



Cliff wasn't a story teller that I know of, but when he talked it was always something that got your attention:






Below is and will always be a part of Cliff's family: All of us from the DeLorean Club of Ohio.
He is in the center of the photo, but you would never find him out front, that was Cliff's way. He was always there for us and never asked for anything in return.....



You will never be forgotten Cliff. You will be missed by many.

-JQ

[DeloreanJoshQ]

The visitation for Cliff will be on Friday, May 31st, from 6-8PM at:
Stier-Israel funeral home
917 - E Main Street
Louisville, OH 44641

The visitation on Saturday, June 1st will be from 10am- 11am followed by the funeral and a gathering afterwards.

The Saturday Visitation is at:
Beech Mennonite Church
10037 Easton St.
Louisville, OH 44641

This is a suburb of Canton and is where Cliff is originally from; most of his family is there