Rick "Wolfman" Jakubas VROC #3

"Even a man that is pure of heart, and says his prayers by night, will turn into a wolf, if the wolfbane blooms while the Autumn moon shines bright."

Godspeed my friend Wolfman.

Eulogy for Rick 'Wolfman' Jakubas

I met Rick via email in 1996 when Kawasaki released their new line of cruiser style motorcycles. Rick had only been riding for 3 years after taking a safety course with his stepson. He had purchased a brand new Black/Red Vulcan Motorcycle. A group of about 30 of us were emailing each other discussing our new bikes. Right away you could tell Rick was a helpful guy. He was the first to let us know how his dealer fixed the backfiring problem many of us were experiencing and he shared with us where he found a new backrest that worked with our new bikes. It wasn't
long before we adopted the Vulcan Riders and Owners Club (VROC) name for our little group. These were my first encounters with Rick and I caught a glimpse of someone who liked helping others.

Rick also liked to organize/categorize things. Shortly after our emails started, he began manually maintaining a list of people, where they lived, what bikes they owned, and what personalized license plates people had. At the time Rick had CHUNK on his plate.

Before long Rick turned his list of people into a website called the VROC Member Pages. Rick really loved to tinker with this new technology. He just kept adding to it. He would add ways for others to see "What's New" Ways to share upcoming rides or charity events. Ways to find other people in your state or region. I know Rick spent time every single day updating the website as new people stumbled upon our group.

Rick was very diplomatic. Rather than telling me that the official website I was running was plain and outdated looking, he would ask me 'Ken, what are your future plans for the website? Where do you see things going?' Rick always phrased his questions so that he would understand my point of view before he suggested changes. In 1999 we discussed replacing my plain and outdated site with something new. Rick wanted ideas on how to automate the system because he was spending more and more time each day getting things organized. I gave him several ideas of what were the latest technologies at the time. He bought books at Borders, taught himself these new technologies, and dove into creating a new more automated website. He labored and toiled for the next year, while still maintaining the existing Member Pages, until March 2000 when he announced his creation. Everybody loved it. I remember the only complaint was the motorcycle photo on the front page. Being the diplomat he was, Rick took a color photo of the 1500 Classic and turned it into a black and white image. It turns out he wanted to be fair to those who loved the Black/Red color bike like he owned and the White/Silver-Blue color bike like I owned.

It was in 1999 that I met Rick in person. We met in Boscobel Wisconsin at the Second Annual Boscobel VROC rally. Rick searched me out and approached me. Not having seen a photo of him, I was expecting some big burly biker. Instead I was greeted by a big smiling Santa Claus. I immediately thought that he was what ?Motorcycle Santa? would look like. He was jolly. And of course, he was wearing that signature grey beret of his. The beret was uncommon and certainly his own style. Not until this week did I try to analyze what that beret meant. I think it was a clue to the complexity of the man. A man with a technical /mathematical mind but also an artistic/creative side. I think that creative side is what motivated his creation of the website and his artistic perfectionism is what constantly caused him to improve it. His technical mind allowed him to 'build a better mousetrap'.

Rick traveled to many rallies and I think it reflected just what a people person he was. He loved connecting the faces with the online personalities. His travels took to him to places like Georgia, Wisconsin, Colorado, South Dakota, Michigan, Texas, and California to name a few. He rode in charity rides such as Toys for Tots. On one early trip in 1997, Don Soland and Rick went to the Chicago Midnight Run and Rick was excited when he heard "Wolfman Jack's" voice coming from the DJ's mike - He really wanted to get his autograph. He was disappointed when he found out it was only a very good impersonator. Don jokingly called him Wolfman the rest of the night and that is how he got his VROC nickname.

Even while he was on the road at the various rallies he'd take a laptop or find a computer to dial-in and perform his daily VROC chores. He wanted to be responsive to new members joining. While his website creation provided the capability for other Vulcan owners and riders to meet, his attendance at the rallies and local rides is where he acted as the ambassador of VROC with his warm welcoming smile and grey beret. Each time I saw him he had more patches and pins sown to his vest from his travels. Many people have said of Rick that he represents the 'Heart and Soul' of VROC. I certainly share that belief.

Rick and I often spoke about how the VROC creation we were both part of had taken off and continues to grow. Even though Rick was most familiar with new members joining through the member listings, I'm not sure if he truly appreciated what VROC means to people. Ricks creation was much more than a place for sharing motorcycle tips--it facilitated personal relationships that have changed people's lives. VROC has brought people together, has created lasting friendships, and even resulted in marriages.

Last year Rick continued to work on a new and improved web site. His goal was to automate as much as possible. As usual, for Rick, he constantly changed the design trying to achieve perfection. This past January Rick told me that he had been diagnosed with kidney cancer. Once again, being polite and diplomatic, he hinted at his desire to get the new and improved site running before his surgery. I still remember his email to me. A friend telling me he has cancer and he says 'Sorry to put you guys into such a spot. I'm open to suggestions'. I took several weeks off of work and Rick and I worked around the clock to setup the new site. We spent a lot of time on the phone discussing the technical issues and automating things on the new site. Our friendship really grew during this time of daily / sometimes hourly contacts. During this period Rick never complained about his cancer or his upcoming surgery. Instead he spent most of his time occupying his brain in order to make VROC a better place. Within a few weeks after his successful surgery, Rick was back on the site, once again helping people use his new and improved creation. I cherish the time we spent working together on the new site--many times we would end up finishing each others sentences and Rick would always say 'Great minds think alike'.

This week hundreds of VROC members, some as far as Germany, have posted what Rick meant to VROC and to them. The common theme is that if Rick were to be described in one word it would be: Selfless.

Rick, you touched so many people. VROC and I have lost a good friend and
one of our most valuable members.

Ken Bass VROC 1

The backbone of VROC

Some years ago a man with a bike
On the Internet he made some friends
And at that time no one did know
Where that road would turn or would bend
The group grew in size and all could see
Names growing by heaps and by bounds
They burned midnight oil, they troubled and toiled
A solution was finally found
With Internet skills matching none that we know
Our friend made a home page with style
Now all Vulcan owners had a place to go
To share advice and talk about road miles
As years passed on by, we came to learn
More than a web page and words that we see
What this man had done, with unselfish grace
Is create our extended family
More years passed on by the numbers did grow
Just too much for the original plan
Countless hours he worked in the volunteer mode
A new web page was toiled and sown
On this poignant day our good friend was taken
God loves his special children you see
Our friend Rick Jakubas will truly be missed
The backbone of V-R-O-C

RIP Rick

AJ VROC 943

On the Glory Road

There's a sadness in this, all right-
Sadness for his hurt and process of passing,
And sadness for his family and those left behind,
Sudden echo of his time, fading fast.

But there can be a peace to it,
And a legacy of his works and good memories,
And for his passing into light and Love
And an eternity with the Source of that Love.

These machines we ride in joy and power,
These extensions of our will, these swift steeds,
Is it sacrilege to attribute them with spirit,
And ride them in our dreams?

Can we ask that such be given spirit,
And carry us beyond this time,
That we can ride fast and loud
On the Glory Road.

Maccs VROC 657

The Gray Beret

Rick was without pretense. Sure, he spent enough time in the saddle to qualify for biker status. But while the scooter trash around him (and that would include most of us who had the privilege of spending time with him) might don skull caps and do-rags and headbands and baseball caps, Rick wore a gray beret. That was as it should be. Artists wear berets. One look at the Web work he created for VROC will dispel any doubts about whether he had reached the status of artist, as well as biker. And that same look will tell you all you need to know about the man's love for all things motorcycle and his dedication to the brothers and sisters who comprise VROC. Cocked jauntily to one side (or so it always seemed, no matter how he actually wore it), his gray beret told you he was more than a biker and an artist. It telegraphed to all but the most obtuse, that here was a guy who didn't take himself too seriously, but who seriously lived by his own rules. Back in the early days of VROC when the hot topic of conversation was whether the group needed rules and the driving mantra was "we don't need no steenking rules" Rick was probably one of the few who truly didn't, at least none that dictated how VROCers would treat one another. The rules he lived by--always--were the rules of the heart. You knew that, almost instinctively, within minutes of meeting him. His compassion and concern for others were characteristics that could not be concealed if he tried. And rare bird that he was, your first impression of him was also your second, and your third---and your last. Yeah, the image created by that beret and the way he wore it revealed much about the remarkable man whose broad smile lit up his bearded face, and whose laughter came to him so easy and so often. So, if what they say is true, that 'the good die young', then those of us who knew Rick and, yes, loved him, should be thankful, for he was surely with us far longer than we had a right to expect. And, Rick, if you're wondering about your legacy, you needn't worry. But contrary to what you might have thought before you left us, it isn't in your web pages. It's in the example you set for us. But, you know, bro, you made life real hard for most of us, 'cause now we know that if we ever hope to see that gray beret again, we're gonna have to be a whole lot better people than we have been up 'til now. I guess that means the world will be a better place because of you. That's a legacy most of us can only envy.

Godspeed, my friend, and take care of that beret.

Rogue VROC 135