Morgans - Anyone Heard From John Sheally lately?

[AngliaGT]

Met him a few years back when I was in Virginia.
I tried to contact him without success.Has anyone
heard from him?

 

[DrEntropy]

Has anyone
heard from him?

Not since about 1972...

Though I did post that photo of him a while back.

 

[AngliaGT]

I met hem about seven years ago.I went to the
Williamsburg British car show.On the way back,I decided
to take the Jamestown ferry.
While waiting for it to load,I noticed a guy pushing his
Morgan to the front of the line.I walked up & informed him
that this was not good for the image of a British car owner,
& asked him if he needed a ride.He accepted,and showed
me around his cool shop,& even gave me a book that he
wrote,on the Morgan coupe.
Amazing who you run into.

 

[DrEntropy]

John Sheally in about 1972, at a Newport News/Hampton, VA autocross. Can't recall if he was in a TR4 or TR6 back then. This must have been his "pre-Morgan" days. Never saw him in one.

 

[DrEntropy]

We only saw him at those autocross events, never tried to look for him after rotation from Langley. Had no idea he'd gone into Morgan cars and written books until recently. I'm sure he has no idea that photo exists, we were just some transient "kids" with an MGB and an Elan back then.

 

[Poptart]

Met him a few years back when I was in Virginia.
I tried to contact him without success.Has anyone
heard from him?

Sadly, he just recently passed away.

 

[AngliaGT]

Very sorry to hear that.He told me that he had to be careful
not to get too much sun.Maybe it was skin cancer?
Now that we live in Virginia,I was hoping to get back over
to his place sometime.

 

[DrEntropy]

Sadly, he just recently passed away.

Sad news, indeed. Always thought there may be a chance we'd meet again. I was a photojournalist, in the Air Force at the time.

Another news photog and a mentor of mine as a budding news photographer has passed recently, too: Pete Pavlovic

Pete was a great influence and taught me a lot. That was the heyday of newspaper photography.

 

[Scargo]

John was a fixture here in southeast Virginia at Motorsports events of all types. The last time I ran into him was at the AACA Grand Nationals which was held here in Virginia Beach in 2022. As always, he was donning his camera and capturing images as he worked his was through the wide array of some of the finest examples of classic cars in the country. After chatting with him, I watched him work his way through the crowd, always greeting people with a handshake and his genuine smile.

John passed away on December 2, his funeral service will be held on February 14 and his burial (including military honors) will be on December 15.

He will be missed by all those who have ever come to know him.

 

[DrEntropy]

As always, he was donning his camera and capturing images as he worked his was through the wide array of some of the finest examples of classic cars in the country.

Back during the time I took that photo of him, never saw him carrying a camera around. The local "regulars" were somewhat dismissive of the transient military folks.

An Army major who had a midget he'd obviously spent time & money on would walk over to the timing boards, look at it and say: "How does he DO that?" referring to my times in our MGB, but never actually talking to us. The Europa T/C in the background of that shot of John was red, owned by a Brit. Didn't talk to us until I showed up in the Elan. Apparently then it was acceptable to converse, I guess.

There was a converted garage/service station (some address I can't recall) in Newport News: "B's Foreign Car Service." Owned by a man called Burl Washington. Great fella. Had a good inventory of BMC parts. Often wondered how he'd done over the years.

 

[LarryK]

If it is John H Shelley II writer, obit says Dec 7, 2023. Same profile as in the Morgan.

 

[DrEntropy]

Just had a "flashback" to those days. John had his name: "John H. Sheally II" in small white "Letraset" typeface on the inside face of the speedometer in that Triumph.

I couldn't decide whether it was classy or tacky.

 

[LarryK]

Just had a "flashback" to those days. John had his name: "John H. Sheally II" in small white "Letraset" typeface on the inside face of the speedometer in that Triumph.

I couldn't decide whether it was classy or tacky.

Probably special to him.

 

[Chas S]

I remember John very well. I started the monthly Miscellany magazine, Morgan sports Car Club, and he sent articles and photos of young ladies for the rear cover, all much appreciated by our members. I met him face to face when I attended the meeting in Luray in 1979. the following year he came over to attend our big meeting, he took my "lightweight: Morgan Special back to the states, a good souvenir? he will be greatly missed.
Chas Smith. Vice President Morgan sports Car Club.