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Jim Irwin, President
of the Chris Craft Antique Boat Club, passed away April 21, 1998 in
the Naples, Florida community Hospital at the age of 72.
Old boats and big bands were a large
part of Jim Irwin's life. He grew up in the boating business
- his father James Irwin, Sr. established Irwin marine on Lake
Winnipesaukee in 1919 in New Hampshire which became one of the
earliest franchise Chris Craft dealers in 1924. Irwin used to
tell stories about how he and his dad would go back to Chris
Craft operating headquarters at Algonac to select boats for the
coming season.
Jim Irwin was one of antique boating's
greatest story tellers, and had a tale about meeting virtually
every Chris Craft employee and executive at the Michigan Chris
Craft plants. Those who attended the first Chris Craft Symposium
at The Mariners Museum in 1991 were privileged to hear Irwin
regale some of those stories as a panel participant along with
Chris Craft enthusiasts Charlie Cross and George Johnson.
It was because of Irwin's keen interest
in the old boats that Chris Craft Industries, which sponsored
the Chris Craft Antique Boat Club, asked him to serve on the
initial Board of Trustees in 1970 and in 1977, upon the death
of W. Harvey Monger, asked him to become the President. He served
in that position until his death this year. In recognition of
his 21 years of service as President, his name will remain on
the Brass Bell mast head as President Emeritus.
Irwin's roots ran deep in New Hampshire
where he was born. He graduated in 1942 from Laconia High School
and the University of New Hampshire in 1949 were he was a member
of the Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity.
He received a special (up to 20 MPH) commercial boating license
when he was 14 and at 16 received a full license to drive the
10 boat fleet of 26' and 28' Chris Craft Miss Winnipesaukee
sightseeing boats, a ride that was 75¢.
In 1938, while in high school, he joined
his father at the pioneer Chris Craft dealership which became
New England's largest pleasure boat dealer.
After high school graduation he enlisted in the Navy and was,
at the time, the youngest cadet pilot to graduate from the Naval
training program in Pensacola, Florida. It was a year later that
George Bush surpassed that record by graduating a few days younger.
Irwin had a distinguished flying career with the Navy and stories
went that he flew as many planes under the bridges as over them.
At the end of the war he returned to
Laconia were he was not only active with his father Jim Sr. and
his younger brother Jack in Irwin Marine, but was also active
in community affairs. He not only organized, with competitor
Vinny Callahan, the second oldest Antique and Classic Boat Show
at Weirs Beach at Lake Winnipesaukee, but he was also a Rotarian
and a member of the Laconia Elks Lodge.
He was a Director of Laconia Federal
Savings and Loan, the New Hampshire Marine Trade Association,
the New England Marine Trade Association, and in 1952 became
the President of Irwin Marine.
In 1925 his father built the dance hall
pavilion at Weirs Beach where the likes of Glenn Miller and Jimmy
Dorsey were to be heard on successive Saturday nights throughout
the summers. The younger Jim Irwin seemed to have a natural knack
for sales and marketing and so it became his responsibility to
promote the Saturday evening dance hall events.
Longtime family friend Beth Lavertue,
now 78, was quited as saying, "The surname irwinconjures
memories of a time when the Weirs was noted for the dance hall."
She remembers going "every night I could possibly go"
- paying $1.00 admission.
Close by was Channel Marine, one of the
oldest Century dealerships operated by Vinny Callahan who was
not only Irwin's fierce competitor but among his closest friends.
The two had a great respect for each other and together they
co-founded the Antique and Classic Boat Show at Weirs Beach on
Lake Winnipesaukee in 1973. The two were honored for their continuing
activity at the 10th anniversary show in 1983 and again at the
20th anniversary show in 1993. Callahan died shortly thereafter
in September 1993. Callahan used to joke that the Irwin family
has been around so long they sold the Mayflower to the Pilgrims.
During an earlier visit to one of the
Lake Winnipesaukee Boat Shows, your editor followed Irwin about
the docks. Irwin probably visited with almost every Chris Craft
owner recalling in detail the history and pedigree of each boat
from the moment it came in on the trucks or trains, the circumstances
under which the Senior Irwin sold it, its trips back to the dealership
for refurbishing and its trades to subsequent owners. Irwin's
recall about the oldChrisCrafts was phenomenal. But wife Elaine
pointed out, when sent to the grocery store he could not remember
more than two items per trip.
A Summer 1990 Brass Bell story about
Irwin bringing a burned Chris up off the bottom of Lake Winnipesaukee
after 46 years quoted the purchaser and restorer, Earl Sheehan,
Jr., as saying of the soggy boat, "I was a little disappointed
with the dealer prep." Irwin quipped, "Even though
it is out of warranty, we will take it back."
High school classmate Phil Roux: "Jim
Irwin made everyone else smile."
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