Meeting Bob Bourke's Son Richard

[starlightchamp]

I had my 50 Starlight at a Goleta, Ca car show Sunday,20 Sept. An elderly gentleman
and his daughter approached me, asked if this was my car, and the daughter
excitedly introduced me to her father Richard, who said his dad designed the car.
I was impressed and told them I knew that Bourke was the designer working for
Raymond Loewy who had fired Virgil Exner and replaced him with Bourke. I gave Richard my
card and asked him to e-mail me copies of any family photos of his dad or stories
relating to Bourke's Studebaker time.
I hope he does ,and if so, I'll put the info on the forum.
It made my day.
...Dick Curtis

[Commander Eddie]

I used to live in Santa Barbara (Montecito) and owned a photography lab and studio on Hollister in Goleta for several years. I still have many friends there. Did Richard mention if he lived in SB? You must have been quite surprised to meet him and his daughter at the show. I would really look forward to any information about the Bourke family you might obtain.

[starlightchamp]

Ed,
Richard was from Arizona but visiting his daughter who lives in Santa Barbara. I'll pass on any info he sends me.

[studegary]

You describe Richard as "an elderly gentleman". Are you sure that it wasn't one of Bob's brothers rather than a son. I remember Bob as having brothers, but not a son.

[StudeRich]

I thought the same think Gary, "An elderly gentleman"? Would his Son if he had one, be into the 60-80 year old category already?

[studegary]

I thought the same think Gary, "An elderly gentleman"? Would his Son if he had one, be into the 60-80 year old category already?

A son could be 60 but not 80. I do not consider 60 to be elderly. Bob's brothers are probably in their 80s or possibly early 90s.

[starlightchamp]

[raoul5788]

I'm 60, and definitely not elderly!

[Jeff_H]

I thought Bob had 2 or more sons? Seems to me there was a photo in TW years ago (was it in one of the "Bourke's Bad Boys" articles?) that was taken at a autocross event in the early 50s and some of the folks ID'd in the picture where Bob and his sons. I don't feel up to rooting through my back issues to look right now as not sure what year/months to look through.

Take this with a big As for "elderly". I am 48 and my definition is anyone either (1) looks/acts like they are 75+ even if they are not or (2) is actually 80+ even if they don't act like it. Anyone 60+ is just "old" although some folks younger than that maybe mistaken for "old" if they look like they've had a rough life. Reminds me of a couple of (girl) HS classmates at my 20th HS reunion 10yrs ago that looked more like they were 58 than 38. Mebe a good thing there wasn't at 30th reunion this year.....

Back to Bob's hypothetical sons, if they were Boys under 10 in the early 50s, that would make them around 70 now and could be considered "elderly", depending.

[Warren Webb]

I'm coming up on my 67th anniversary to this world but am not elderly, although I do partake the "senior lunch" at the local community center, so "senior" is fitting I guess.