John Crean’s Last RV
The coverage afforded to the death of John Crean, one of the nation’s foremost recreational vehicle manufacturers and perhaps the most giving philanthropist Orange County has known, was generous.
But to my way of thinking, the coverage was incomplete and shortsighted. There was a major, inspirational story about John that no one knew and it falls on me to tell it.
I am writing as John’s goddaughter, not related by blood, but he and his wife Donna were “god-sent” to me as backup parents my whole life. They treated me like one of their four kids.
During the last five years of John’s life, when he was losing his vision and his health was declining, I became his chauffeur. It was easy to see he needed me when I saw branches hanging out the back bumper of his car at Village Crean in Newport’s Back Bay, where he and Donna lived.
My driving him was part of his last dream. “Duffy,” he said, “I’m gonna build one more RV. It’s gonna be affordable and simple, just like the old days but even better! I’m gonna call it the Flounder, and there’s gonna be a picture of a big ol’ flounder fish on the side wearing a diamond ring! What do you think of that?”
We decided to table discussion of the name; besides, I was just the driver on this deal.
John had tapped his son-in-law, Steve Thomas, married to his youngest daughter, Susie, to be his “arms, legs, eyes and mind” on this project. Steve and Susie had a successful manufacturing plant in Riverside. When they’d close up their shop, they’d drive over to the new RV facility and work through the entire night on the Flounder. We were all sworn to secrecy. John’s health was failing and they were in a race against time to finish the RV before he died.
John was the happiest sick man you’d ever want to meet. He talked nonstop about what a hard worker his son-in-law was and how smart Susie was for marrying him. He laughed all the way to the facility on our weekly drives to Riverside. When it was all said and done, Steve and Susie had five RVs completed. They were named Siena and the company was named CT Coachworks LLC.
And when John was presented with this new, affordable RV he had designed when he was supposedly too sick to do anything but watch his cooking show reruns on TV, well, it was the proudest day of his life.
I felt it was my responsibility to let the world know what ol’ man Crean was up to these last few years. He wouldn’t be upset with me now for “opening my trap” and “spilling the beans.” And, if he is upset, I am sure he will find a way to let me know! I miss John very much and I know that heaven’s gates were opened wide enough for him to roll in.
Andrea “Duffy” Routh
Huntington Beach
Olympic Airports
The OC Insider reports Los Angeles hopes to host the Olympic Games of 2016 (Jan. 15). Will local airports be ready?
The last major expansion of Los Angeles International Airport took place when the Bradley International Terminal opened in preparation for the 1984 Los Angeles Olympic Games. No additional expansion of LAX is contemplated: Planners want to cap the airport at its current size indefinitely and steer passengers elsewhere.
Will a future influx of Olympic-bound visitors to the hub of events at the L.A. Coliseum be happy to land at Palmdale and Ontario airports and find how far they are from L.A.?
Several popular events will be held in Orange County. By then, John Wayne airport will have completed a major physical expansion to include customs and immigration facilities, 300,000 square feet of additional terminal and six passenger gates. But more seats in the new terminal may not lead to more seats on planes. Airport officials steadfastly contend that the expansion is just to catch up with the limited number of passengers allowed to be served under the county’s current agreement with Newport Beach.
The U.S. Olympic Committee will select either L.A. or Chicago as the nation’s entry in an international competition for the Games. Chicago leaders are pressing a $6 billion expansion to increase O’Hare International Airport’s passenger capacity by 60%.
Leonard Kranser
Editor, El Toro Info Site
www.eltoroairport.org
Insider Inspired
That bit about Loretta Nguyen Moorlach in Rick Reiff’s 2007 predictions was great (Jan. 8).
Also, I thought you might get a kick out of the new Dot Dot Dash column in the Los Angeles Garment & Citizen. (The title is a play on the three-dot column style and the Dash bus system that serves Downtown and nearby neighborhoods.)
It’s authored by Ed Fuentes, an art director by training who recently decided to take a shot at writing. I suggested that he use the OC Insider as a primer as he prepared to launch his life as a scribe, and the influence has been quite helpful.
So Reiff has joined Charles Barkley as a role model,whether or not he wants the job.
Jerry Sullivan
(Sullivan is editor and publisher of Los Angeles Garment & Citizen and a former managing editor of this paper.)
