Wednesday, May 27, 2009

Richard Van Noy

Got a little long-winded for the Caring Bridge site, but hey, there's much to tell . . .

May 23, 2009. Dick. Richard. RG. Big Dick. The Big One. Dicklet. Mr. President. Moneybags. Pop Pop. Dad. You can wish him happy birthday, but don’t expect a precise accounting of his age. The “speed limit” is one response (highway or city?), thirty-eight is another, which would put him a year younger than his youngest daughter. He’s been lying about his age for so long no one is really sure how old he is. Even his younger sister, Patricia--or is she his older sister?--is confused, but sometime on this day around the early 1940s, or maybe 50s, Richard was born to Beatrice Trippany, of upstate New York, and Samuel A. Van Noy, of Lawrenceville and Pennington, New Jersey.

As much speculation as there is about his age, his middle name, too, remains somewhat of a mystery. Does the “G” really stand for “gorgeous”? In any case, the family resided in Pennington at 114 Lanning Avenue where “we didn’t have much,” not even hot water until he was in high school, “but we were well loved.” Sam worked at inside sales at Griffith Electric and Beatrice was a bookkeeper/homemaker. The Van Noys vacationed at Long Beach Island and spent weekends on the Delaware River. Sam kept a boat at Dick Abbott’s in “south” Titusville where they met Janet and Bob Miller, future neighbors, then living at Borden’s Apartments.

Richard graduated from The Pennington School in 1959, where he played football, soccer, baseball, and hockey. After high school, he went to college for two years and then began working multiple jobs and developing the work ethic he has become known for. He worked at as a bank teller in Princeton, during the day, and kept books at Renwick’s Restaurant at night. In the summer, he was a lifeguard at Hiohela, a swim club, and also began working for Diorio’s Men’s Shop and haberdashery, where he developed his keen sense of style (including the high water pants) and an emphasis on neatness of appearance.

Richard married Elene Meury of West Trenton in 1963 because, he used to tell, “she chased me up a tree, lit a fire, and wouldn’t put it out until I agreed to marry her.” At the time, he worked full-time for General Electric in Philadelphia and at Diorio’s on the weekends. He was drafted in 1966 but took a marriage deferral, and later that year, the couple had a son, Rick. 1968 was a watershed year, as Richard had a daughter, Jennifer, and the young family moved from Cedar Avenue to 74 River Drive, main street Titusville. Richard also graduated from Rider, in Business Administration and Finance, and bought a partnership in Thropp Electric. “I thought I was going to go bankrupt.” In 1970, they give birth to a third child, Gretchen.

During the Titusville years, he ran for township committee and served as mayor four times. He was also a member of the Union Fire and Rescue and served as chief. He was also a Little League coach—you may well remember the Weidel Real Estate dynasty with Asst. Coach Bill Cane--and girl’s soccer coach, where he placed an emphasis not on winning but on having fun, giving out quarters to those players who got the dirtiest or who dared head the ball. Behind a bright red speed boat, he taught his children to water ski and used entertain all by putting the tow rope on his foot or behind his head. He claims to have participated in a 4th of July waterski show where there used to be barefooting, human pyramids, and ski jumping. We are hoping he will repeat some of these performances this summer, in a Speedo.

In 1991, Richard married Debra Gresavage Hartnagle, his “Polish princess.” When asked what drew her to Richard, Debbie stated the obvious: “I think it was the hair. Yup. Definitely the full head of hair.” With daughter Krista, the couple resided in Lawrenceville.

Richard also worked as the Administrator for Hopewell and served as Director of the Mercer County Improvement Authority and the Delaware Joint Toll Bridge Commission. He has also been an Administrator for West Windsor and Washington Townships. When asked to explain how he became so successful, he offers a modest explanation: “I talk with people and make them laugh.”

In 2000 Debbie and he moved to the Poconos to retire--sort of. He became active in the Jack Frost Ski Patrol and ran for Tunkhannock Township Supervisor. He also serves as President of the Brier Crest Woods Property Owners Association and is still on the board of Mercer Insurance Company. As much as his success may could be attributed to his being a talker, he is also, primarily, a doer, and Debbie says that once, six or seven years ago, he actually sat still for a few minutes and did nothing. He loves to tinker, to “putz” around, which is Dick Van Noy for “build something completely unnecessary,” but always to his perfectionist standards. Good with his hands, if he wasn’t a salesman/politician/administrator, he could have been an electrician, a small engine repair mechanic, a riverbank wall engineer, or a shed builder.

There are at least three of these sheds at his Pocono house (in addition to a garage and a carport) to hold his various tools and toys: snowmobiles, quadrunners, golf carts, and a beloved Harley. There are several lawn mowers, two or three weed wackers, and an assortment of saws, sanders, grinders and compressors. In each shed, there is pegboard hung with other hand tools, all neatly, squarely aligned. Borrow something and put it out of place and the “G” will stand for “gorilla.” And don’t forget the painted coffee cans, with a sample of the nail or screw they hold taped to the lid. Richard once talked about working in a hardware store when he retired. He practically already does.

The wit and wisdom of RG Van Noy is composed of several pithy sayings. We all know that “you can’t have hair and brains too.” And you can “catch more flies with honey than with vinegar.” He lives by the motto, “if you put something away, you’ll know where to find it.” And this one that has become all too relevant: “God gave you the bad days so you can appreciate the good ones.”

At this moment, on his something something birthday, Richard has been diagnosed with metastatic melanoma, which has spread to his lungs, liver, vertebrae, and brain. He has treated this news with characteristic good humor. When they performed a CT scan to verify lesions on the brain, he noted the good news: “they found the brain.” If laughter offers any medicinal properties, we know Richard will pull through (although the rest of us will have to suffer through his corny jokes).

Both Debbie and dog Shadow are helping him stay positive and organized. If all goes well, he will begin a clinical drug trial in the middle of June. This summer, Richard is looking forward to feeling good and being able to stay active, but also sticking close to home.

Thanks to all of you who have written. We will try to keep the Caring Bridge site updated as we learn something new, and if there is more wit and wisdom for Richard to consider, please post in the guestbook, along with your positive thoughts, prayers, good wishes and yes, corny jokes.