TUCKER MADAWICK: obituary

[Jerry Kaiser]

Hi Guys I received this email from Bob Marks and thought it would be of
interest to every one in the Studebaker comunity

Jerry Kaiser (Studeblu)
64 One Ton
61 Champ pick up
53 Starlight Coupe ( pinky)
53 2R6
57 Silver Hawk
37 President

I received the obituary for Tucker Madawick, which follows, from
Raymond Loewy's daughter, Laurence Loewy. She and Tucker were good friends
at the time of his death. Thanks Laurence for the information.

I knew Tucker because we both worked for Raymond Loewy in the
Studebaker office, but at different times. I initiated the request for a
lifetime membership, for him, in the Lincoln-Zephyr Owners Club because, as
many of you know, he worked with and was a close friend of Bob Gregorie and
worked on Ford, Lincoln designs in the late'30s, early '40s. His career is
documented in Jim and Cheryl Farrell's book: FORD DESIGN DEPARTMENT CONCEPT
& SHOW CARS 1932 - 1961.

The obituary, which follows below, states that he was a member of the
Lincoln Continental Owners Club. He may have been, but this might be an
understandable error; his letterhead included an illustration of the1939
Lincoln (Zephyr-derived) Continental prototype. In any event we know of him
through his invaluable reminiscences and fascinating documentation of
aspects of his design career with Ford, in our club publications: The Way of
the Zephyr and The V-12 Trail.

He started his career illustrating the 1939 Fords, Mercurys and
Lincolns at the Ford exhibit at the New York Worlds Fair (which I covered in
an issue of The V-12 Trail). Impressed with his ability, Ford hired him into
the corporate design office.

Tucker was the personification of the automotive designer of that
period: dapper, mustachioed, outgoing and legendary. I recall at Studebaker,
just bring up Tuckers name and the stories and laughter began. In Raymond
Loewy's book, Never Leave Well Enough Alone, he refers to amusing incidents
involving his designers, without naming names, and in at least one, I
clearly see Tucker as the instigator.

One story: Raymond Loewy's South Bend office was noted for having
attractive secretaries (I can verify that). A new secretary was being hired
and although the staff hadn't met her, the rumor was that she was very
attractive, and the single guys were looking forward to meeting her. As it
happened, she started work the day that Tucker was hired. He was single,
took one look, started dating her and she became his lifetime wife, Pat -
before any other single guys got out of the starting gate.

He was also part of the Lippincott and Margulies team contributing to
the design of the Tucker automobile (No he did not name the car).

After his stints with Ford, Lippincott and Margulies and Raymond
Loewy, he joined RCA as VP of design for their Consumer Electronics
Division.

As the legendary STYLISTS of the '30s and '40s disappear, the
computer-geek designers have taken over and the beat goes on.

Bob Marcks
Scottsdale, AZ

[TomNoller]

Thanks Jerry. Too bad. John Bridges also writes about Bob Bourke's story
of Tucker's meeting the secretary and knowing immediately 'that' was the
woman he was going to marry. It's in "Bob Bourke Designs for Studebaker".

[mid...@earthlink.net]

A few years ago, after reading an article in TW by him, I got into the
museum library the next day and found two recently-arrived club
publiations with articles by him. One was airflow the other, the Tucker
car itself, IIRC.

Karl