John M. Sawruk PE

John Sawruk was a walking, talking treasure trove of Pontiac information and he was very generous about sharing it with us hobbyists, who hung on his every word. Having always been fascinated by the engineers, designers and executives who worked for Pontiac from the golden era to the present, as a neophyte in the magazine business back in 1994, I was very excited about working with John on a Buyer's Guide for GT-37s. I wrote the story and he proofed it and offered corrections and suggestions to make it better. John was both polite and patient. I learned a great deal and we got along wonderfully ever since.

Having learned of his kidney cancer in 1997, John was very good at keeping the hobby abreast of his condition. He underwent two surgeries and with aid of experimental treatments, he lived another 11 years when the typical prognosis is less than 1. In November of 2007, his condition began to deteriorate and he became engrossed not only in treatment but also in work. He produced many stories and columns, and continued to do seminars at shows. For the 2008 POCI Convention, he was too weak to go to South Dakota so he did the seminar via teleconference--he was a man on a mission.

His last e-mail on October 10, 2008 put his condition into perspective. Hospice had been called in and he was taking it day by day. John Sawruk passed away on November 12, 2008 in the presence of family at his White Lake, MI home. He was 61 years old. John is survived by his wife Marjorie of 40 years; his children John M. Sawruk, Jr., Jeffrey J. Sawruk and Jennifer M. Sawruk; his grandchild Mikaila B. Ribianszky; and his mother Helen Sawruk.

John's contribution to the Pontiac hobby was enormous, and his absence will be felt deeply. Fortunately, he was able to do what he did best right up to the end, share as much previously unknown Pontiac information as possible. We as a hobby have benefited from it. That's a legacy anyone can be proud of.

For those so inclined, consider donations specifically to kidney cancer research at the University of Michigan or Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Research in New York City. You can log onto www.MEM.com and leave a tribute.

The complete Tribute to John Sawruk, can be found in the April 2009 issue of HPP.