Going down-hill

[marcopolo]

I'm in shock. I just came home from dinner out and saw something on Facebook and thought, that can't be right. I really am at a loss for words.

 

Farewell Paul.

[Les is more]

Dearest Paul,

 

I will think of you each time I look at the stars as you rejoin the stardust from whence you came.

 

Thank you for your grace and generosity for taking us on some of your journey with you.

[moshe_levy]

Sucks.....

 

-MKL

[Endobob]

When I put the details together, please join me in this ceremony. We'll also share a certain ride. It will be the very one that long ago, Paul showed me when we rode to his favorite spot.

 

Until then, I prefer to think that The Maestro has simply leaned his big-bore boxer into its final curve, and in a puff of blue smoke -- he's gone.

 

Respectfully and with kind regards,

 

Jim Ford

 

Thank you,Jim, for your post. Such a loss to our community of riders. I certainly would like to share in any tribute or ride that might be arranged to honor our beloved friend.

 

So many happy memories...

 

 

[doc47]

Isn't it typical of Paul? He did it without wasted time or effort....and gracefully.

A hug for Maria.

 

 

[TyTass]

Jim,

 

Thank you for this. I hope I'm able to join you and any others to pay what surely will not be our "final respects" to Paul for he will surely endure in our stories, recollections, and our hearts for a very long time to come.

[roydog007]

Godspeed Paul, We will all ride again in Torrey with Roger & Gleno one day my friend.

[upflying]

Wow, just a bit more than two weeks since the diagnosis.

Sad news but at least God spared him from suffering.

Somewhere in the Universe is a motorcycle constellation with Paul in the saddle.

[Danny caddyshack Noonan]

Wow.

The body is done, the spirit goes on. May he ride with each of us.

[roadscholar]

Rest in Peace Paul, I'll see you down the road.

[ESokoloff]

Wow, just a bit more than two weeks since the diagnosis.

Sad news but at least God spared him from suffering.

 

My Dad went six days after his diagnosis & by then he was starting to become incoherent.

Unfortunately it was not enough time to say goodbye but then again, there was not time to grieve (was still in shock).

 

Paul's timing was just right.

 

It was said sometime back that this board was/is dying.

 

It just suffered a serious setback today.

 

Paul will be sorely missed.

[1st Shirt]

I think most of us can easily say "I've never meant anyone quite like Old Fart." (I have to use his handle because I always used it in reverence, and I'm feeling a lot of that right now.) I bought my bike from him because in a simple email he conveyed to me his love of riding. I knew all the way in Korea that he was the one I wanted to purchase my RT from. My respect and love for him only grew as I got to know him better.

 

I know he is now spending his time riding on the best of the best roads and I can only pray that someday I will be lucky enough to join him once again.

 

Farewell my friend, you blessed so many us!

[Quinn]

This was too soon. I'm not ready. There was so much more I wanted to learn from him--and not just about motorcycling. Seeing him and thinking that could be my future was inspiring. He was such an icon that I always felt out of place talking to him. It was like asking Einstein about long division.

 

Will we be able to know the location on the Blue Ridge Parkway so we can visit and pay homage on future rides?

 

-----

 

 

[Berkley]

Paul, I think I have to picture you out on the sweepers that morning in Torrey. Or sitting in the evenings with a smile on your face. Always welcoming and enthusiastic. You will be missed, but you rode an amazing ride of your life in all possible ways.

 

Thanks for sharing your life and touching all of us here.

[Tank]

[Ken H.]

He certainly was indeed a gentleman’s gentleman in so many ways. That we all could be as much...

 

He was our gain. He will be very much missed by the so many he touched.

[Huzband]

Paul left early on his ride. Like all of his trips, he mapped it out & kept to his plan. As he said to me many times, "See you!"

 

Paul did not leave early, he left on time. While I never had the pleasure, I'll miss him just the same. Once again I have lost a friend that I never met.

 

I extend my prayers of condolence & peace to the family.

 

And on a lighter note, I wish he were one of the many here I had had the pleasure to chase through the mountains, east or west.

[Bullett]

Wow, just a bit more than two weeks since the diagnosis.

Sad news but at least God spared him from suffering.

 

My Dad went six days after his diagnosis & by then he was starting to become incoherent.

Unfortunately it was not enough time to say goodbye but then again, there was not time to grieve (was still in shock).

 

Paul's timing was just right.

 

 

It was said sometime back that this board was/is dying.

 

It just suffered a serious setback today.

 

Paul will be sorely missed.

 

Eric, you are so right. I'm going to miss Paul, too.

 

[KMG_365]

Farewell, Paul. Thank you for the gift of your presence in our lives.

 

 

 

 

 

[Bologna]

 

 

 

[StretchMark]

Condolences to the Mihalka family. Paul will be missed

[dhanson]

He certainly was indeed a gentleman’s gentleman in so many ways. That we all could be as much...

 

He was our gain. He will be very much missed by the so many he touched.

 

Amen!

[Matts_12GS]

Thank you Jim. I will be there if at all possible.

 

Our community lost a valued member, but it has given we, the collective, a reprieve; we've a new chance to show each other that we still know how to care for each other and to do more than just argue esoteric points across the ether.

 

In Paul's memory, why don't we use that grace and remember what brought us here.

[Kathy R]

Our community lost a valued member, but it has given we, the collective, a reprieve; we've a new chance to show each other that we still know how to care for each other and to do more than just argue esoteric points across the ether.

 

In Paul's memory, why don't we use that grace and remember what brought us here.

 

 

Matt, that is very likely what Paul would say.

 

[tallman]

 

Well said.

 

I just read this.

 

Yesterday I was off line.

Unaware of what had happened I competed in our regional Senior Games, dedicating my meager effort to Paul as he has always inspired me.

Each time I felt like quiting I thought of him and all the discussions both face to face and on-line we had.

My life is better for knowing him and I'm certainly just one of thousands who feel that way.

BMW may be shocked to get an application from God for a new bike, but it will be no surprise that the salesman is Paul.

I'll never be the rider Paul was but I can aspire to be as

good a man.

 

[Glenn Reed]

This is a special place. We have each managed to find our way here through one avenue or another. We establish relationships with people we have never met except in cyberspace, and they are real, and they are positive, and it hurts when they end.

 

Many others have expressed all the things I wish I could say in much better ways, so I don't feel like I have much to add, but I needed to say something.

 

Paul, you and your smiling face will be missed.

[Rocer]

Thank you Jim. I will be there if at all possible.

 

Our community lost a valued member, but it has given we, the collective, a reprieve; we've a new chance to show each other that we still know how to care for each other and to do more than just argue esoteric points across the ether.

 

In Paul's memory, why don't we use that grace and remember what brought us here.

 

Quoting from one of the speakers at Oliver Shroer's memorial that I spoke of in my earlier post regarding a life that paralleled Paul's - "Could it be, I wonder, that every time something is taken away something else is given?"

 

Even before his passing we received so much from Paul, and Matt, your insightful words are a perfect example of how Paul, in his typical gentleness, will continue to guide us in our lives. Thank you.

 

 

[barryNmarin]

I just read of Paul's passing and feel a great loss personally and for our community. He was so loved and admired and will be deeply missed by all. Our thoughts and prayers are with Maria and all of his family.

[MikeRC]

Linda and I would also like to pass on our best wishes to Maria and the rest of Paul's family.

 

I will miss him, but so much of him will live on.

 

Michael Cassidy

 

[Roadwolf]

Sad day indeed. To Paul's family, heartfelt condolences from my home to yours. Paul will surely be missed but everyone remember that he lives on in our memories and that will be his legacy.

[SageRider]

Ride in peace, Paul.

You are missed....

[Smoky]

Godspeed Paul, I wish I had known you better.

 

Condolences to the family.

[subvet]

so sorry to hear of Paul's passing. my sincere condolences to his family and friends

[Fubar]

Update, the worst kind: Stage IV liver cancer, the end.

Guys and gals, these loving messages are the most beautiful gift you could give me.

I Love you all!

DAMN IT!

I need a drink. No, I need a ride. After I stop

[doc47]

Somewhere in the Universe is a motorcycle constellation with Paul in the saddle.

 

 

 

I am blown away with how fast this all transpired. Paul called me just over two weeks ago to ask my medical advice (something he did from time to time)because he had been getting weak and was concerned. I advised him to see his doctor. He didn't have one, so I made a few phone calls....which produced pretty much nothing, and somehow Paul managed to find a doc in the area.

 

They did a CT scan and found the tumor on his liver, then scheduled a biopsy. Through all this Paul would call and we'd schmooze about all of it. I only recall him sounding dismayed about any of it one time. I was overwhelmingly impressed with his ability, even when obviously feeling weak, to treat the whole business in a straightforward, matter-of-fact manner, without whining or self-pity. His self-possession, equanimity and bed-rock dignity were always in evidence.

 

He spoke over and over again about the tidal wave of support he got on this forum, from his friends in this community. He talked repeatedly about how much it meant to him. And it is so typical of this group!

 

You are all a very special community. In spite of our many differences -- geographic, philosophical, political -- we come together in mutual caring in times like these. As much as it has been a true gift to know Paul, it has been a true gift to be a small part of this group.

[Lets_Play_Two]

It was a rainy day here yesterday when I heard about Paul. Like most I knew him mainly from the Board but my wife and I did meet him at the UN in WVA. Loss always sucks and feeling sad is part of that. But then we realized we really haven't lost Paul, our relationship with him has simply changed. We can't shake his hand or chase him down the road, but there are boundless memories he left that can be relived and retold over and over. I got on my motorcycle in the drizzle yesterday afternoon and headed for the Olympics. By the time I got into the foothills, the rain had stopped, the sky was blue and the sun shining brightly. I want to thank Paul for brightening the ride for me.

[hANNAbONE]

...no words from me...

 

only prayers for the repose of Paul's soul - and the remaining family.

 

GodSpeed, PM.

[Kathy R]

............As much as it has been a true gift to know Paul, it has been a true gift to be a small part of this group.

 

 

For a diverse band we are indeed a tight group.

 

Paul relied on you David. Thank you for being you and for being there for him in his time of need.

 

It ended much faster than I expected and hoped for, but, after all, he was never a spectator.

[Spikes_Wife]

My Facebook status: (Picture of Paul borrowed from Roy!).

 

On March 10, 2011, our daughter Carrie (all of 8 days old) met a very wonderful man. Since she will never remember it, I will have to tell her all about it. His name was Paul Mihalka, and every fiber of his being was "motorcycle". I met him in the Spring of 2000 when John Spicer bought a 2000 BMW 1100 RT from him at Bob's BMW; the motorcycle that we would eventually take cross-country on our honeymoon. Paul became a good friend and we rode with him often. In 2004, he sold me the one and only motorcycle that I ever owned, a BMW F-650 GS, from Battley.

 

Paul was an amazing man. He was a motorcycle racer in his early years, and still loved riding well into his 70's and beyond when I knew him. He was the kind of person who literally wrung every last drop of "special sauce" out of life. The kind of person with a zest for life that could change anyone he met. At an advanced age (82?), he did a cross-country ride this past fall.

 

Yesterday morning, he succumbed to cancer. Unfortunately he's not in the one picture that was taken the day we brought Carrie to meet him -- because he *insisted* on playing photographer so that Jaime, who had come to visit from CA, could be in the picture (it was his camera). Dearest "OLD FART", "MAESTRO", and "BMW Salesman Extraordinaire": Godspeed and keep the shiny side up. There is no shortage of lives that you've changed that will miss you very much.

[ericfoerster]

Just very sad news. What a blessing to have met the man in person.

[Boone60]

RIP Paul.

 

My condolences to his family and friends.

 

 

 

[SWB]

RIP, Paul Mihalka, and kindest regards for Maria and the family. May God grant you peace and joy.

 

As one who has every certainty about my own mortality and Christ Jesus, the "resurrection and the life", I also sincerely add:

"... you ride on out ahead now, and I'll catch up to you shortly ...".

 

Scott

 

 

[KTM Doug]

RIP Paul. I'm so sad now. I thought he had a little more time to spend with us. Regards to his family.

[EffBee]

He certainly was indeed a gentleman’s gentleman in so many ways. That we all could be as much...

 

He was our gain. He will be very much missed by the so many he touched.

 

Yes indeed, he was our gain. He gave us all so much, and didn't ask for anything in return except a warm hug when we saw each other.

 

Paul, I will always remember the conversations we had, how lovingly you spoke of your Maria, and how much you enjoyed life and riding. It was a full life, well and honorably lived.

 

Godspeed, my friend.

[Big_Gray]

Farewell Paul

[Ron_B]

Coping with the sadness we all feel, I still find myself smiling every time I think of him.

 

I’ve got a question for Paul's old buddies:

 

I'm pretty sure that Paul once told me that he was part of the crew for Venezuelan Grand Prix rider/World Champion Johnny Cecotto. Am I remembering this accurately?

 

Also, I came across this pic of Paul on his Hannigan faired K-bike:

 

 

[Effjay]

I hate goodbyes, often preferring to slip out a side door to avoid such. I never met Paul in person but we did exchange a few forum messages. Like so many here, I admired him greatly. His switch from GS to scooter not so long ago signalled to me as a reminder that we all will succumb to issues of aging and our eventual demise. I too had hoped for more time for Paul and his family and am saddened by this news. Perhaps all were spared even greater suffering by a prolonged ending that couldn't be reversed. Wishing for peace to all that knew him and God's blessings to those who loved him...

[Tony Guzman Blanco]

Ron,

 

You say:

 

I’ve got a question for Paul's old buddies:

 

I'm pretty sure that Paul once told me that he was part of the crew for Venezuelan Grand Prix rider/World Champion Johnny Cecotto. Am I remembering this accurately?

 

You are indeed correct. In 1975 or 1976, Johnny Cecotto's first time at Daytona, Paul (we called him Pablo) accompanied master mechanics Ferruccio Dalle Fusine and Italo Cichetti. The night before the race, in the motel room, Ferruccio, Italo and Pablo dissassembled the engine in order to replace the crankshaft/connecting rod assembly. One of the new connecting rods was bent. They straightened it out "the old fashioned way", don't ask me how, reassembled the engine and Johnny, after starting dead last (he was penalized as his mechanics were still fiddling with his bike less than two minutes before the race), in the last turn of the last lap managed to edge Giacomo Agostini out from third place and the podium.

 

That year, Johnny became world champion and his mechanics were Ferruccio and Italo. The following year, Johnny was given a place on the Yamaha team and the factory mechanics did not perform as successfully as Ferruccio and Italo.

 

I don't know what became of Ferruccio, but Italo was a good friend and riding buddy of ours (Pablo and his group). After I stopped riding I learned that Italo was killed in a freak motorcycle accident. He and many others are now riding with Paul in the afterlife.

 

Tony

 

[Tony Guzman Blanco]

What can I add to the many wonderful things that have been said here about our dear friend Paul. Words escape me. However, I will speak briefly of his legacy to those of us who knew him in Venezuela before he moved to the U.S. I thank Tomas and Bob who helped me put things into perspective; their input was invaluable.

 

When Paul first came to our group of riders we were a wild disorganized bunch with no sense of riding purpose, no discipline and no road manners. Basically we dangerously sprinted around in circles. Paul’s impact was immense and immediate, and we all changed for the better. He whipped the group into order without saying a word. His presence was gigantic and he commanded respect. He established the concept of trips with a purpose. Some short and some lasting several days. He also imposed an unwritten code of road conduct that brought sanity and safety to the group…and his positive influence went beyond the riding….it made us all better human beings as he gave us his mixture of unconditional friendship and tough love. He had little tolerance for fools and it was very graciously his way or the highway. Those of us fortunate enough to pass muster in his eyes became his true friends and learned immensely from him by example, both as a rider and as a person.

 

Not only did he teach us how to live but also, how to die with dignity, bravery and grace.

 

In addition to being a legendary motorcyclist, he was also a formidable automobile rally competitor. However, I did not share that part of his life as it took place before I had the good fortune of meeting him. Thus, there is not much that I can contribute on that front. What I do know is that he made many friends from all walks of life and was was actively involved with the world of competitive bikes and cars in South America and beyond.

 

My special thanks go to Roydog007 who provided a link to an interview with Paul: http://garageboyz.com/images/Archive_Issue_3.pdf

 

Scroll down and you will find a fascinating tale in typical Paul fashion: Brief and to the point. A man of few words, he spoke volumes.

 

Yesterday and today I have been in contact with others who knew him. Robert Schaper, a friend of Aparicio (one of our riding buddies) brought our attention to a fascinating article about Paul which can be found at the following link: http://thevintagent.blogspot.com/2009/10/ajs-10r-racer-that-wasnt.html .

 

I also learned that a group of his friends took a typical Pablo ride today in his honor and had lunch at one of his favorite places.

 

Finally, I am happy to take full responsibility for having introduced Pablo to his lovely wife Maria Amelia during Easter, 1977. He posted the story on this forum as you can see in my opening posts at:

http://bmwsporttouring.com/ubbthreads/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=824328&page=1

 

http://bmwsporttouring.com/ubbthreads/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=824425&page=29

 

It is perhaps comforting to know that those who preceded him in their final ride are once again enjoying his presence as they ride together in the afterlife. The list is unfortunately long...too long:

 

Tonino Milano, Antonio Del Valle, Alain Arcouri, Alain Bizet, Vladimir Sulyan, Jorge Ganteaume, Rafael Hurtado (Brutus , Plus-Turbo), Michele Casselle, Virgil Bishop, Italo Cichetti, Carlitos Olavarria, Octavio Boccalandro, Louis Murray, Luis Lavatelli, Teresina Troyanos de Galavis and probably others whom I don't remember or know about.

 

May you all ride on with Pablo.

 

I'm currently in the process of putting together a photo album (175 photos) covering the period when we rode together (1974-1978). I will post it or link it to the forum in the near future.

 

I am very glad to have come to this forum and seen so many gracious, loving and supportive people who came forward when the going got rough for Paul. You have my gratitude and respect.

 

Best wishes and warm regards,

 

Tony

[Ron_B]

Thanks so much, Tony! (and welcome our community!)