On Sunday, December 22, Gary Manley called me to deliver news that I knew must someday arrive, but that I had hoped never would. He let me know that Joe Mack Schubert had passed.
Of all my heroes as a teenager, and those who remain heroes to me at this late stage of my life, none are more dear to me than Joe Mack.
Readers of my blogging may remember my post on Joe Mack's 76th birthday in 2013.
Some of his life's story is told there, but a bit of it bears repeating here.
Joe Mack lived in Greenbelt, a place of my early childhood, and the home to so many of my friends. The above photo, given to me by Darryl Richards, is the only photo I have of Joe Mack before an accident paralyzed him at the age of 25.
I first met Joe Mack at Berwyn Baptist Church, the Church that his Mom and my Mom shared. This cool dude with a beard, sitting barefoot in a wheel chair (covered with car stickers) entered the sanctuary. He was a celebrity. I quickly learned that he and my Dad were friends, fellow Marines, and worked at the same CO-OP store at one time. I was 15 years old.
Within three years I purchased a Corvette and entered the world of car worship. Older guys had a network of contacts that proved useful to me and the guys at Beltsville Shell in making our cars cooler and faster. They included Pete La Barbera, Carl Schinner, Darryl Richards, and Joe Mack.
Despite his handicap, Joe Mack was an avid rodder, and a superb interior craftsman. His reputation for custom motorcycle seats quickly spread.
The interior of my 1959 Corvette was getting shabby, so Joe Mack agreed to make custom dash, seats, and door panels. He used black Naugahide that was stunning. I would stop by his shop in Greenbelt between college classes to monitor his progress.
During one of the visits, Joe Mack said to me, "Cary, you know it's a good thing you are having me do this work now, because a year from now it will be much more expensive."
I replied, "Really? Why is that?"
He replied, "Those Naugas have been declared endangered and soon the prices for the hides will go through the roof!"
Such was his mischievous sense of humor. Everyone loved Joe Mack.
Outside of our small communities of Greenbelt, College Park, Berwyn Heights, and Beltsville, where he was well known, Joe Mack enjoyed a nation-wide celebrity among Hot Rodders. For example, here is a photo that appeared in the classic "Rodders Journal", made famous by Steve Coonan, of Joe's Model A Roadster driving across the country, wheel chair strapped to the side! Look at that smile.
This week Dave Wallace and others provided me with more information and an article about Joe Mack that appeared in Hot Rod Magazine. Please see the four-page article below, a special editorial about him (I apologize that it is a bit difficult to read).
He lived far longer than his doctors predicted -- they didn't account for his unquenchable spirit and pure love of people. He never complained about his handicap, or the accident that tried to limit his life. Even though he was 9 years and 364 days older than me, he treated me as though we were best friends in high school.
After I moved to California, and we published Beltsville Shell, I was reunited with Joe Mack. Phone calls and letters were exchanged, and he came to Reunion #8. Here are a few photos from that event.
Joe Mack and Darryl collaborated to give me a beautiful gift that rests in a place of honor in my garage. They had the Rodders Journal photo enlarged, and Joe Mack autographed it for me saying, "Hey Cary -- Burn More Rubber & Keep on Crusin!! Your Pal Joe Mack"
Gary Manley sent me the photo below, ironically, one week prior to his passing.
Like all of you, I will miss him so very much.
Keep Crusin', Joe Mack!
Cary Thomas, December 27, 2024
