With the passing of Gwen Riggs on April 17, 2009 the Orange County Model A Ford Club has lost a truly fine Lady. It is difficult to think of Gwen Riggs without including John in your thoughts. They were an inseparable couple, married over 67 years. Both were enthusiastically involved in club activities since becoming members in 1994.
Glenn Johnson spotted the Riggs' at a local car show in Long Beach and introduced himself and urged them to join the club. John & Gwen had just finished having their December 1927 Model A Ford Coupe restored. John's father had given him the car many years before. The Riggs' were dressed in era clothing and appeared to be having a grand time. Glenn thought they would be a perfect addition to the Orange County Model A Ford Club; and they were.
The above is the front cover of the Orange County Model A Ford Club
newsletter, “The Distributor”, September 1996.
The Riggs' did everything together. Even when John was president of the club several times, Gwen was right by his side helping him. They were tour leaders many times and even this year, with her health declining, she and John were the club's tour directors and they were busy planning tours right up to the end.
Gwen was born Gweneth Margie Davis on January 18, 1925. She was born in a doctor's office on the northeast corner of the circle in the City of Orange . Her parents were Ralph and Lillian Davis. She was an only child, as was John.
John and Gwen met on a blind date. They went to the old Paramount Theater in Los Angeles in the rumble seat of a Model A Ford. Both Gwen and John lived around 87 th and Avalon in Los Angeles . Gwen attended Freemont High School . Gwen was only 16 when she and John were married on November 19, 1941. The story John tells is that Gwen's mother dropped her off for school at the front door of Freemont High. She walked in the front door and out the back door and got in John's 1936 Ford coupe and off they went to Las Vegas . Pearl Harbor was bombed a few weeks later and the following year John enlisted in the Army Air Corps and was trained as a bomber pilot and was commissioned a second lieutenant.
After the war John and Gwen began raising their family. They had two daughters, Janice and Sherry.
During their long lives together John and Gwen shared many adventures and traveled the world. For a number of years they sailed aboard a yacht belonging to the Harvey Aluminum Company where John was the boat's captain.
In any story there is usually a hero, and in this story John Riggs is certainly the hero. For the past six years John has been the dedicated caregiver to an uncomplaining Gwen. He was constantly at her side attending to her needs. He was her hero. †
John Riggs - The passing of a friend
Article by Richard Parrish
Photo by Tom Endy
On the morning of February 27, 2010 we lost a friend and valued member John "OH" Riggs. The OH is the abbreviation of a cherished nickname "Open Hood". He acquired the nickname from "Road side adjustments under the hood of his Model A and receiving the club hard luck trophy.
John passed away at age 89. He had been ill for the last
several months and died barely 10 months after his wife of 68 years, Gwen.
John married Gwen when she was only 16 in November 1941. Pearl Harbor was bombed December 7th and John joined the Army Air Force to became a B17 bomber pilot. They had two daughters Janice and Sherry, two grandsons Scott and Dean and granddaughter Carrie and three great grand children.
John and Gwen joined the club in 1994 and immediately became involved in every activity available. My first remembrance of John and Gwen was a brunch at the Queen Mary in Long Beach. Here was a couple considerably older than me driving a Porsche 911. WHAT?
We soon discovered John had a very early 28 coupe built in 1927. He had it restored prior to joined the club and was soon winning trophy's at national meets. John was still working for his long term employer and friend, Homer Harvey, the owner of Harvey Aluminum.
The story goes that John worked for a well known yacht builder in Costa Mesa and was assigned to deliver the new boat to Mr. Harvey stay with him until all the bugs were worked out. Now this was a large boat and he remained for several months. The owner was most pleased with his boat and with John who complied with his every wish. To make a long story short, John was offered the position of captain of the boat which required substantial training and licensing.
John accepted and Gwen signed on as cook in what was to become a long and close friendship. They blended right in with the Harvey family. John commanded the ship on voyages to far and exotic places. Mexico, South America, Panama Canal, The Mediterranean were no stranger to the Harvey yacht with John at the helm.
Homer loved his yacht and after many years ordered another even larger one from the same manufacturer. John supervised the construction and was to again be the captain. A combination of a different class license and John's age would not allow that. Sadly, John retired from being captain but remained with Homer his friend and employer. He was entrusted with any number of essential assignments one of which was to make a mount for a canon dredged up in the Mediterranean which many have seen on John's front porch. John remained with Homer until 2 years ago.
In 1994 when John stepped down as captain was when John and Gwen became a part of our Model A family.
The club tours trophy shows them as winner year after year after year. John was president at least 4 years. They drove to Central Ca. Regional meet, Northern Ca. Regional meet, Death Valley, Wings and Wheels, Santa Barbara, Mexico, Hawaii, Portland OR, and all our local tours plus some sponsored by other chapters. Their daughter Janice and Calvin joined the club and drove Johns Coupe while John & Gwen drove their 30 Town Sedan. We're looking at Mr. Model A, again at the helm of the OCMAFC ship.
John took loving care of Gwen for several years when her health was failing and you would see them with the wheel chair tied to the spare tire enjoying the same experiences as always. What troopers. Gwen passed away barely 10 months ago and now we've lost John who delighted in his nickname and the attention we lavished on him.
He could work under the Model A with the best of us, even us "young guys". Some people say I drive too fast. I hardly think so since I could barely keep up with John. "How fast are you driving John"? The answer was always 55 mph, no matter what "our" speedometer read.
We will miss you John. No one can replace you "OH". Rest in Peace