From my earliest memories of my dad, Mike Bohannan, I can remember my sister and I being dragged to weekly meetings with the Antelope Valley Corvette Club (where he was the club president for years), or to rally runs or poker runs or Corvette conventions... The 1970's & 80's were nothing but Vettes!
I remember times when I was older helping him out in our garage where he worked on customers Corvettes, working his ass off to build his dream business (he did this at night and on weekends after a full day at Lockheed L-1011. He'd have me under a vette with him, fetching tools, bleeding brakes, all kinds of things. When I was old enough to drive, I was sent out to obtain Corvette parts from places scattered around L.A. I remember I started to hate Corvettes - my Dad and I never had a normal Father/Son relationship, never went to the ball game, always Corvettes...
Over time, we started to lose touch, as I began to live my own life, silently thankful to be away from our house and Corvettes! Several year later, my Dad remarried a great woman named Margaret, whom seemed to be a perfect match for him, as she came with her own Corvette and the Corvette way of life to boot.
Around that same time, Lockheed had transferred him out to South Carolina, where he and Margaret wasted very little time integrating themselves in the Southeastern Corvette club or council or something, taking part in all kinds of Corvette things. In my naive mind, I think I still hated the car, for it seemed to take precedence before me and most everything else.
Then in late 2005, doctors discovered a small tumor is his head, and trying to sound brave, my Dad told me he was determined to fight as something little like that couldn't whip his ass without a fight. For the first time in memory, he also told me he "loved me". How weird for me, at the age of 40, to hear that from my old man! Because I still lived in California, it was hard to be there for him being 3000 miles away, but he insisted he would be okay, and would pull through this.
Unfortunately, it didn't turn out to be that way. The cancer started to consume him, reducing a man from over 300 lbs, to around a hundred, or so. My sister called my wife and said I needed to get on a plane for South Carolina ASAP as his condition took a turn for the worse. The only flight available at short notice went to Chicago first, then connecting to Atlanta. The moment I boarded the second flight, my wife called me crying, my Father was gone!
I found myself pushing to exit the plane before they closed the door, and the flight attendant was in my face asking me what was going on and a remember breaking down, saying my Dad just "F-ing DIED"!!! :-(
The flight attendant, bless her heart, hugged me and walked me over to first class and proceeded to feed me a half dozen whisky's, on the house...
Finally, wrapping this long story up - a couple days pass, and the morning of his service, something not prepared to face... I sit alone with my sister and her family, looking at this person I once knew as Dad, and there he was, lying there dressed in a Corvette shirt, at peace.
Suddenly, i looked around me, and there were dozens, maybe over 2 hundred Corvette friends of his, greeting me, some telling me how much my Dad spoke of me and my kids, etc. I could see, that these damn Corvette people truly loved my Father, and enjoyed a special camaraderie that they shared through owning a Corvette! As I said goodbye to Dad and walked out of the chapel, there was a sea of Corvettes, from the latest, to the golden oldies filling the large front and back parking lots, and stretched down the street, such a beautiful sight!!! The way my Dad would have wanted to leave this planet.
Thanks to any of you who knew him or was able to say goodbye.
Rob Bohannan
Last edited by Habitude; 09-07-2008 at 02:58 AM.
Reason: Add photo
.............he sounds like a great guy! My condolences on your loss!
The geographic situation for me is a little like yours - I'm here in Northern California, and have a daughter back in North Carolina. I hope she respects me as much as you do your Dad!
Yes I did know your father. He came to our autocrosses in eastern NC every year in March. We all were saddened by his passing. I am glad you got to see how much the Corvette family cares. Godspeed.
Rob, you sound like a good son...Wonderfully told...Wherever he is I'm hopeful he is at peace...
Greg
The link for this should be in the appropriate region section so more members know to post here. Maybe a mod will post a thread pointing to this thread.
I was fortunate enough to meet Mike and to have him recruit me in to the newly formed Carolina Autocross team. He was one of the most classy guys I have ever met. He was the man behind the biggest NCCC event of the year at Sanford NC. When I arrived at the 06 event I was informed of his situation but we thought he was gonna be OK. I only got to see Mike three more times after that. It was during the 07 event that he passed away. We rallied the group to win the champoinship for Mike. It's pretty hard not to get emotional when I think about him, he was like a big brother and a great friend who would do anything for a new guy. I will tell the other team members about this thread. We miss him a lot.
Mike was one of a kind indeed... He recruited me as well to his small but competitive carolina autocross team - i ended up running for (and winning) the nccc national championship in 2006 as a result of Mike's encouragement to "go for it". In 2007, CAT banded together, pulled out all the stops and won the Carolina Region team championship - dedicated to our buddy, Mike.
He always had advice and an encouraging comment for the autocrossers he ran with - he would drive all over the SE with his trailered car for an autocross or a hi-speed event... how he loved to drive that car of his!
What an incredible person, friend and fellow Corvette enthusiast. He spoke of you often, Rob, with lots of love and deep pride.
It's been over a year, but he is still missed by all of us who knew him.
When I first began traveling to autocross events with a car trailer, Mike kept me out of trouble a couple of times. Once, I had the trailer unhooked from the truck and was beginning to pull the car into it. He was parked next to me and started waving and walking towards me laughing. He advised I was about to enter a "teetor-totter" because the front was not held down by the truck. Mike took time to show me how he had wired a car battery in his trailer for power rather than to have to connect it to his truck. He was always ready to give a hand and carried a trailer full of stuff I always seemed to need. And yes, I agree wholeheartedly with you; Margaret was his perfect match. Rest assured Rob, your Dad was a man you can be proud of.
I can remember my first ever NCCC event in the spring of 2001 in Rocky Mount NC. As I sat there thinking I was in heavan amongst all those corvettes on steroids, my attention quickly focused on a man gazing intently at my truck and trailer. As I approached him he stuck out his enormous hand, smiled and said "Hi I'm Mike and that lovely lady over there is she that shall be obeyed. Once the pleasantries were exchanged and I managed to stop smiling, he informed me that my trailer connection was unsafe and then proceeded to show me the proper way to hook it up safely. That was just a sample of the many pleasant conversations and advice sessions we would have as Mike and I ran in the same class and group.
Mike's warm welcome and willingness to help made us feel right at home and part of the family. But it did take a few events before I would be comfortable taking driving tips from him. You see, our first weekend competing against him, he and his beutiful red 89 coupe got a tad bit off course and chased a course worker into the trees. As you can imagine it didn't end very well and the tree won.
He and Margaret were a driving force in getting Georgana behind the wheel and inspired us both for many years to follow. Georgana and I feel blessed to have known Mike and we miss him dearly! Where ever he is, I know he's looking down and laughing his ass off at the stupid crap we do while going about our daily lives.
If he is listening, I just want to say "Thanks big guy, it was a hell of ride"
Sorry to hear about your loss. It sounds like your Father was a GREAT guy and a TRUE Corvette enthusiast and will be truly missed by the people whose lives he has touched.
I'm glad that you got to see what the Corvette community and your DAD was all about.
It's not just a hobby, it's a LIFESTYLE!
I'm sorry I never got to meet him.
Rick
WOW, what wonderful messages from people who knew your Dad, each one I read, I felt like I was at the track, it took a great guy to inspire each of these messages...they all loved your Dad, thats for sure.
As stated above, Mike was full of life even after his diagnosis.
I met Mike back in 1998 at my first autocross in the Carolinas. He helped me with anything I needed. Mike told me to park next to him and I was welcome to use any of his tools I needed at the track. He even offered to let me run some sticker tires once when I started showing cords. I declined, but that was the kind of guy Mike was.
As time went on and the racing seasons continued, we always had many good laughs with Mike and Margret at the track, at dinner, at parties, or even through email conversations.
I'm glad to have known Mike and she that shall be obeyed (as he put it) as they made my life brighter.
Your Dad is sorely missed Rob.
I met Mike and Sherri back in the 70's when I was in Corvettes Unlimited in Northridge, CA and they were in Antelope Valley Corvettes! We go wayyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy back and what a great time we had.
I know Mike up thru his passing via NCCC - he was larger than life and what good person to have as a friend.
The last time I saw him was at the NCCC 2004 in Las Vegas. We kept in touch via email and Christmas cards.
I miss Mike and proud to know him for so many years.
Corvette Store
Did anyone here know my Father, Mike Bohannan?
The link for this should be in the appropriate region section so more members know to post here. Maybe a mod will post a thread pointing to this thread. 
It sounds like your Father was a GREAT guy and a TRUE Corvette enthusiast and will be truly missed by the people whose lives he has touched.
