Memorial Service for John Partridge
Irwindale Speedway, Irwindale, CA.
April 21, 2012
Story by Richard Parks,
Photographic Consultants
Roger Rohrdanz & Howie Zechner.

John David Partridge was born May 27, 1955 in Ridgecrest, California to Bernie and P. J. Partridge.  He passed away on April 11, 2012 at Rancho Cucamonga, California.  A Celebration of his life was held on April 21, 2012 at Irwindale Speedway, Irwindale, California with approximately 300 of his friends and family in attendance.  John left us all too soon and far too suddenly.  They say that the date of one’s birth and the date of one’s passing is what is posted for the world to see, but that isn’t the most important thing about a person.  It is all the friendships and all the relationships that we build in those years between the coming and going.  John’s life was short in comparison to many that we know, but he knew how to live life to the fullest and he left behind a family who will always love him and keep his memory in their hearts.  John passed away just hours before his father and so this was a doubly sad occasion for his family and the racing community that loved him so dearly.  He left behind his mother, P. J. Partridge, brothers Jim Partridge and Bernie Partridge Jr, his wife Carolyn Partridge, his sons J. D. Partridge, Ryan Partridge and Andy Partridge, his daughter Avery Partridge, his step-daughter Suzette Gray, three granddaughters, Kylee Tello, Shauna Hilton, Amanda Gray and a great-granddaughter Amar’e Hernandez.  In the Christmas photo of the family you can see the love that each member had for one another.  In the many discussions with John you could sense the pride that he had in his family and the experiences that he shared with them. 

John came from a racing family.  His father, Bernie Sr, was a founding member of the Dust Devil car club and the Inyokern drag strip and all of the family pitched in to run the drag strip and do the many chores that needed doing.  John was a talented man and one of his duties was announcing the races at the Irwindale 1/8th mile drag strip.  He reminded me of his father, who announced many a race that I attended at Pomona and other tracks for the National Hot Rod Association.  I will always appreciate the welcome greeting that he extended to me when I came to cover a race for the media.  There was this graceful and gracious manner about him and I could see that he loved drag racing and loved the spectators, racers, crew and staff.  He always had an eye out for those that needed a special handshake, a kind word or a pat on the back when things seemed to go wrong.  John was someone you always looked for at a race and if you missed seeing him, it just wasn’t that much fun.  We also compared notes about our families and he was always interested in the Parks’ and in turn we truly cared about the Partridge family.  We have been linked together by racing for half a century and that is a long time in which to develop long-lasting friendships and it seems too short to let him go.  In a way, we aren’t going to let him go; for his memory will always be with us and his children are following him into racing and keeping those friendships growing into the next generation.

I had attended his father’s Celebration of Life on April 19, 2012 at the Wally Parks NHRA Motorsports Museum where 250 friends and family came out to pay their last respects to Bernie Partridge Sr.  Now, two days later another group of 300 friends and family members came together to honor John Partridge at Irwindale Speedway.  That’s a very large number indeed and is a testament to how loved this racing family is to our community.  John loved to wear Aloha shirts; big, colorful, loud and comfortable shirts from our 50th State of Hawaii.  I wished that I had known, for then I would grab one from my closet and join with all the others who wore their shirts and muumuus.  He let people know that when his time came he wanted everyone to come to his farewell party and have fun, talk, remember the past, live for the present and look forward to the future.  He didn’t want any tears and he knew that he had a place prepared for him to spend eternity with his loved ones and friends who had already preceded him into the grace that he knew to exist.  He had no doubts that his family would be okay with his absence.  He had done his work well, whether at the racetrack or with his children and wife.  He knew that they would carry on, and though he will be missed, he had a world of faith in himself and others.

Dr LeRoy Hales officiated at the Celebration of Life for John.  Dr Hales was a member of the Racers for Christ ministry, a drag racer and a member of the crew for the Safety Safari at major NHRA races.  Scheduled speakers included Jim White, Jim Partridge and David Leighton.  A number of family and friends also volunteered their memories of John.  The guests were given a blue ticket upon entering the racing complex that allowed us to eat at the Speedway Café, managed by Victor Arana, who has run the concession since the race track opened in 1998.  Jim Cohan of LA Racing, the race car driving school and Arana provided the food and staff to serve the guests.  Arana told me that he opened up the café just for John’s Memorial.  Since the end of racing during the 2011 season, Irwindale Speedway has been closed as the promoters have gone out of business.  Arana and Doug Stokes told me that the new owners are in negotiations to either sell the track or lease it to a new promoter who will keep racing going at this first class racing venue.  The staff volunteered to work without pay to honor John, whom they admired.  The friendly, efficient and hard working crew included; Arana, Kristine Gutierrez, Sylvia Galaz, Lisa Madaraf, Michelle Madaraf, Ron Smith, Josh Holguin, Ricky Gutierrez, Teresa Galaz, Adrian Diaz, Patrick Rojas, Yesenia Longo and Ruben Zamarripa.

The food service is one of the nice features about Irwindale Speedway, a racetrack that John Partridge loved dearly and was always on hand to help out.  Arana manages four units; two long buildings, a pit concession stand and a mobile unit to service the drag strip.  In all there are 5000 square fit of food service space, 28 part-time employees and another 50 volunteers during the racing season at each event.  Arana told me that the volunteers are crucial for the success of the operation.  High schools have their volunteers use this as a fundraiser for band, athletics and academic programs.  The volunteers are trained and supervised by the employees and there is a waiting list as it is a fun and interesting job that starts around 4 and ends at 10 pm.  Some of the schools include; Charter Oaks High School Band program, Glendora, Northview High School, Covina, Bonita High School, La Verne, Diamond Bar High School, Diamond Bar and Sierra Vista High School, Baldwin Park.  Arana worked for the original partners of the Speedway; Bob Pernecky, Jim Williams, Bill Close, Danny Sullivan and others, whom he fondly recalled.

Gordon Stewart walked by and said hello.  He is well-known to the crowds of racers as Lug Nutzz.  While the racetrack is closed he is working the ESPN radio and TV media booth at Angel’s Stadium in Anaheim, California.  He told me that he is hoping the race track opens soon.  Another guest at the Celebration was Glenn Purbaugh, who served as head of security for the racetrack for many years and is now retired.  Carolyn Partridge, John’s widow, greeted all the guests and just like her husband, made everyone feel welcome.  Carolyn married John and they had four children; sons J. D., Ryan and Andy and a daughter Avery.  John also raised Suzette, his stepdaughter from Carolyn’s first marriage.  John and Carolyn would be blessed with three granddaughters and one great-granddaughter.  Carolyn introduced me to her son Ryan Partridge.  Ryan told me how his father had helped him get into stock car racing and was his biggest supporter and fan.  He is currently racing in the K&N Pro-West series, which has full sized stock cars.  Ryan told me that this series usually consists of NASCAR older cars that were once raced in the big leagues and then sold used to racers running on the K&N Pro-West series.  They might be older, but the mechanics keep the cars in good running order and they are very fast.  The series is televised and attracts a lot of viewers.  It is his hope someday to race in the Nationwide NASCAR or Truck series.

 It’s important to list those that come to events and especially to Celebrations of Life and Memorials.  It leaves a record behind of who participated and sometimes what they thought of the person they came to say goodbye to.  I don’t think that we do enough of this for our family and friends.  It also says a great deal about the person who has departed us by the people who came to pay their last respects.  Here are a few that I managed to write down, though many more did not sign the guest book.  Family members who came were; Charles and Pam Shotwell, Casey Shotwell, Bernie Partridge Jr, Carolyn Partridge, P. J. Partridge, Jim and Carol Partridge, J. D. Partridge, Ryan Partridge, Andy Partridge, Avery Partridge, Suzi Gray, Shauna Hilton, Sheri Partridge, Jon Shotwell, Darren Shotwell, Holli Partridge, Kylee Tello, Amar’e Hernandez, and Amanda Gray.

John’s friends who came included; Bob Klein, Howie Zechner, Dave McClelland, Steve Gibbs, George and Cathy Phillips, Doug Stokes, Tim Kennedy, Dr LeRoy Hales, Pam Tarvin, Mike Atkinson, Jim Cohan, Rick Lalor, Kirk Rockwell, Gordon ‘Lug Nutzz’ Stewart, Glenn Purbaugh, Nicole Steinfeld, Captain Ed Ballinger, Vince Campo, Sylvia and Tony Holguin, Kaye Reshaw, Eric Ysiano, Barbara Inman, Korey Lyn Hall, Steve Gutierrez, Carl Bolt, Paul Bolt, Sheri Ledford, Alex and Naty Delapena, Jim and Judy White, David and Virginia Leighton, Katie Leighton, Nicholas Molina, Sarah Hock, Don Beckwith, Jay Fickes, Bill Thomas, Bob Williams, Andrew Porter, April Porter, Scott and Kimberly Porter, Judy and Chris DeLuca, Kenny and Marylou Smith, Beverly and Bruce Paul, Chris and Cathy Gilbert, Jordan Gilbert, Lynn Sours, Sonya Groves, Branch Mazurette, Robert and Regina Chester, Calista Chester, Leo Chester, Bill Johnson, Jacob Stone, Angela Bender, Michelle Caswell, Javonna Crowell, Marie Stocksbury, Howard Palmer, Linda and Bill Coleman, Ginger Perez, Susan Perez, Tommy Mason, Willie Hoelz, Donald and Mary Jo Poague, Wayne Cronan, Scott Appell, Stephen Appell, Patti Appell, Jackie Macken, Tabitha Colacion, Joe Tambe, Tamara Fleming, Jackie Reagan, Danette Freng, Ozzie Blackwell, Kenny McGee, Mike Johnson, Tom Macombe, Bryce Coleman, Bobby Hauser, James Faulkner, Daniel Thompson, Steve Latina, Donna Hall, Dennis Belloso, Marlena Hazelitt, David Coley, Carol Wrachford, Eva Bazan, Pete Balino, Jeff Townson, Larry Vannix, Jed Laub, Stephanie Laub, Kaitlyn Laub, Marina Laub, Quebet King, Jan Jackson, Angela Holden, Jeff Green, Kortney Taylor, Justin Miskofski, Ola Cukor, Kristin Carson, Cheryl and Keith Johns, Dave and Chris Johnson, Tony Ricketts, Alex Sotelo, Katrina and Patrick Gratowski, Connor Cantrell, Manley Fong, Johnny and Cindy Urdana, Larry Bedruz, Ron Peterson, Ann Mathews, Chris Mercado, Kristi Mercado, Krissy Mercado, Christian Mercado, C. J. Mercado, Daniel Broguiere, Gail and Adam Greven, Dan Nagy, Cory Miles, Kevin Kopperend, Suzanne and Stephen Granes, Kyle Granes, Jim Weiss, Kylie Brazill, James Waterman, Renny Garness, Gregory Jakeway, Jennifer Somers, Daniel Kruger, Dina Clemons, Chelsea Clemons, Ryan Clemons, Bob Wallace, Brandon Pollock, Katy Gordon, Mayor Dennis and Gina Michaels (Mayor of Rancho Cucamonga), Harold and Susie Rosson, David Eshleman, Jeff Eshleman, Tony Cumberland, Laura Kempton, Pat Mintey, Kenny Brown, Victoria Burns, Harry Blasick, Sheri and Sean Barkley.

Gone Racin’ is at [email protected].