Chris Nowlan writes
"Guys,
Laurie and I have been on the east coast and we were pleased to
have
been with Jerry, Doris & Nicole last week. They have been truly like
family
to me for the better part of my own life. ( as a 6 year old, I really
thought
MG stood for Mr. Goguen and that all MGs were built in Needham Mass ! )
Jerry was quite emotional as I told him about my visit to Silverstone
and the
long list of friends that had asked about him. Doris thought we should
also
take the occasion to present him with the Jerry Keuper award which Bill
Tantau had arranged to send some weeks ago. Doris had hoped that a
group of
MMM and MG-T enthusiasts including David Jackson, the recently
rediscovered
previous owner of Jerry 's K3 from 56-63 could be there but his illness
was
taking it's toll and this was simply not possible.
"The following obituary is for general distribution to the MG community.
I have lots of "Jerry" stories to relate and fond memories of our
adventures together. He will be missed. More to follow.
" Cheers,
" Chris Nowlan
"Jerry Goguen, an extraordinary MG enthusiast and renaissance man,
passed
away peacefully on July 28th after a courageous 15 month battle with
cancer.
Born in 1925 in Rumford, Maine of French Canadian stock, Jerry learned
English as a second language while excelling in music, speed skating and
skiing. After a stint in the Army music corps during WWII, he finished
his
education at the New England Conservatory of Music before joining the
Boston
Symphony Orchestra where his talents with the trumpet served him well
until
his retirement in 1979.
"Jerry's first MG was a TD model purchased new in 1953. By 1955 he had
opened
a small MG and VW dealership in Lunenburg, MA. This venture was,
however,
short-lived due to operational policy changes within both the BMC and
Volkswagen organizations. During the late 1950's and early 60's, Jerry
built,
rebuilt and recycled many T-series MGs long before T-series cars were
generally considered classics or thought worthy of "restoration."
"In the early 1960's he started to acquire from MG dealers and
distributors
across the country a treasure trove of "obsolete" new, old stock
T-series
parts while touring with the Orchestra. During European tours with the
BSO in
the mid 1960's, he visited many UK dealers, and established
manufacturing
contacts that would lead him to become a major contributor to the
worldwide
preservation of T-series MGs. This inventory and fledgling business grew
into
Abingdon Spares, Ltd. Jerry was well known in UK Autojumble circles for
his
never ending quest for NOS parts to add to his growing inventory.
"Jerry's interest in Pre-war MGs also grew, and during the 70's & 80's
he
amassed a large collection of pre & post war MGs which in time evolved
into
the Westminster MG Museum. With over 40 different models, including most
of
the rare Pre-war models, this became what was perhaps the world's
largest
collection of MGs under single ownership. Jerry was a founding member of
the
North American MMM Register and this year's recipient of the Jerry
Keuper
Award. Jerry sold his interest in Abingdon Spares, Ltd. in 1999 and in
recent
years had been considerably downsizing his MG collection to a more
manageable
level. He continued his interest in skiing and teaching by serving as a
ski
instructor at Stratton Mountain, VT. until illness forced his retirement
in
2001. Jerry was also a knowledgeable and keen collector of 18th century
American decorative arts and furniture.
"Jerry is survived by his loving wife, Doris and their daughter,
Nicole. He
will be sorely missed by all who got the chance to know him."
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