R.I.P theunions/Earl Ma

[FCYTravis]

Earl Ma, aka theunions, passed away this morning. I don't know anything further right now, as I just heard the news... but we've lost a great photographer and a great friend.

R.I.P. Earl. We'll miss you. :cry: :( :cry: :(

[indyfan31]

Oh my God. He just posted this week at TF that he was back in the hospital.
Never met the guy but I could tell he was loved and respected by a lot of posters. Very sad.

[Spicoli]

Well ****. That just sucks.:(

[FCYTravis]

From Tony Johns:

Everyone,

Earl Ma, a friend to many of you here and one of my longtime collaborators in motorsports journalism, passed away this morning after a long battle with cancer.

Earl had just returned from a working trip to Indianapolis, where he saw his good friend Phil Giebler start his first Indy 500, when his condition rapidly deteriorated. The end was apparently very sudden but thankfully was relatively painless.

I will be getting information on funeral services and so forth ASAP and will post details at RacingPress.com when I know more.

Please pass the word to those who knew him.

Godspeed, Earl.

[extramundane]

Damn. RIP, Earl :(

[Don Quixote]

:(

[nrc]

:(

[Wheel-Nut]

:( I have enjoyed his photos over the years. R.I.P.

[Paintergeek]

Damn. I didnt expect to hear this news this soon at all. He came by to visit on Carb Day, and although still paraplegic, Seemed in good spirits. I told him to write me when he got back home and settled in, but hadnt heard back. As sad as it is to say, I knew it was the last time I was going to see him when I shook his hand goodbye. I just really didnt expect it this quickly. He was a good dude. Im quite saddened by the news.

[Rogue Leader]

RIP

[Gnam]

:(

Here's to Earl http://img101.imageshack.us/img101/5027/beerkx2.gif

[Ankf00]

^^ yep.

RIP buddy, no more UT/OC reuinions :(

[RichK]

Very sorry to hear this.

[Wheel-Nut]

http://www.theunions.com/

[G.]

:(

[Cam]

Cancer sucks. Godspeed Earl. b:(

[emjaya]

:(

[Spicoli]

http://i8.tinypic.com/4v60ilv.jpg

found this one of him. In better times. :thumbup:

[JoeBob]

:(

[dando]

:(

RIP

-Kevin

[cameraman]

:(

[KLang]

:( RIP

[oddlycalm]

It took some serious stones to go to Indy. After a long stay in the hospital he'd barely had time to acclimate to the chair and off he went. He knew his time was short and knew how he wanted to spend it and the chair wasn't going to slow him down. :thumbup:

Very sorry Earl has left us, but I'm real glad he was able to get to a race and see some buddies before he left.

oc

[Rob]

:(

[rabbit]

:(

[Robstar]

Really sorry to hear this...

:(

[RHR_Fan]

Thank God there wasn't much pain at the end.

R.I.P. Buddy. :(

[Dr. Corkski]

We have lost a good one. RIP Earl. :(

[TKGAngel]

RIP, Earl. :(

[pfc_m_drake]

:(

[cart7]

way too young. :(

[Chief]

Earl Ma was the king back in the days of Indycar II. Godspeed Earl, I'm proud to say I raced with ya. RIP.

[devilmaster]

we'll meet up further down the road earl.

RIP.

:(

[JLMannin]

:( Man, I'm sorry to hear this.

[Sean O'Gorman]

Earl Ma was the king back in the days of Indycar II. Godspeed Earl, I'm proud to say I raced with ya. RIP.

Yeah, he had some great carsets. RIP.

[Rob]

Memo Gidley has written a tribute to him.

http://www.motorsport.com/news/article.asp?ID=256025

[TedN]

Another nice tribute Here (http://www.deepthrottle.com/Essays/lost_opportunity.shtml)

[Paintergeek]

Haha! Memo mentioned 'the handshake', which I just noticed a few weeks ago. I thought to myself 'Does he always shake hands like this, Or is he just weak from the cancer'. Apparantly, He always shook hands that way. :)

And someone needs to tell Memo that the Simpsons has been on for about 18 years as its own program, and 20 plus if you count the Tracy Ullman show. :gomer:


The guy had this passion for the Simpson's. Earl only missed watching something like three episodes of the Simpson's in all the six or seven years that it was running. Who does this? Earl did. When the Simpson's came on, you better be prepared to have a TV for Earl.

And this, too. I also thought that perhaps that 'cough' was a result of the illness. So funny to read these things from someone else!


Earl had this great dry sense of humor. You knew that you said something funny when Earl laughed. And the laugh -- he always had that laugh that sounded like a cough.

[swift]

Earl Ma was the king back in the days of Indycar II.

Yeah, he had some great carsets. RIP.
was thinking the same. RIP Earl. :(

[RusH]

I was not a 7thG poster....but damm.....I know "theunions"...RIP...:(

[TravelGal]

Reading the boards now after being away. This sucks. One of the earliest emails I have in my current computer is from theunions@lava.***. We were discussing how to get the airlines to refund tickets for Earl when CART cancelled the Fontana race.

Just before I left, I called him and we had a long talk about how to travel with a wheelchair. I'm glad I could give him some useful info and even more glad to read that he made that trip to Indy. Remarkable that he made it.

edit: I guess I'm saying what the editors said after Memo's tribute. "Earl, you touched our hearts in many ways."

I'm sad. But I'm glad he got to do what he wanted up until the end.

Godspeed Earl. We'll all sure miss you. :cry:

[Classic Apex]

:(

RIP

[Jag_Warrior]

R.I.P. :(

[RTKar]

Peace


... cancer :thumdown: