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February 18,1949 - October 19,2000 Interment: Mt. Auburn Cemetery Lot 207 - Gracelawn Section

Memory of Frank P. Kummerer Frank's Memory brick at Corvette Museum Located in section 17. With "Cruisers" bricks around it. (Brick picture by Gary & Pam Grasham)

   There was 45 Cruisers with there Corvette for Frank's funeral. All to say good-bye to a dear friend. I think if it was a weekend we would of had more. That the kind of a friend Frank was pulling people together.

   We all knew Frank like Corvette. He like taking them out and bring back without losting one alone the way. That he judge them at the Bloomington Gold show. Come to think of it, that's what we talk about Vettes, pass and upcoming cruises. That is all some of us knew about Frank. Lots of us didn't knew he was just 51 until now.

   We think we have lots of time to find out more. So let's keep on cruising and find more out about each other.

   Frank began his love affair with the Corvette in 1966. At seven-teen he worked as a 'hiker' for Brigance Chevrolet in Oak Park. He advanced to a journeyman mechanic, at that time he specialized in the 'water leak' department... but could fix anything on a General Motors car. When Brigance closed in 1975 Frank took a job at Oak Park Phillips 66 as a full time mechanic.

   While Frank was at the 66 station and Gray was at Jack Phelan Chevy in Berwyn they worked at night together as 'alley mechanics' at Frank's house on North LeClair Avenue. They always had a dream of becoming their own bosses some day and Gary had his eye on a four bay garage on Ogden Avenue. On October 1,1979 the dream become reality and the Suburban Pit Stop, Inc. opened for business.

   Frank still wanted his '66 Vette and in the spring of '86 he went to Chicago Heights with Gary to check one out. They were meeting at a gas station but when Frank heard Rat Motor with its side pipes coming down the street he said to Gary, " Look it over good. I've got to have it ! " Frank got his Vette and began researching for restoration. During the restoration Frank called on a co-worker from his Brigance days, Joe Seputis of Vetterran Automotive. Suburban Pit Stop was in the Corvette restoration business!

   Frank became a walking encyclopedia for Corvettes. He judged at Bloomington for several years, competed in many car shows and won numerous awards with his Corvette.

   Frank and Gary worked together for thirty years, shoulder to shoulder at the Pit Stop for the past twenty-one years... and when Frank died they were together.

   It was good time that we had that led to the Pit Stop Cruisers. Frank love to drive his Vette with a group of other Corvettes. It too stated as just a dream and now news letters our going out to over 175 Cruisers. Frank was our 'Pathfinder', our 'Corvette Doctor' at home and on the road. Cruising was easy with Frank!

   You might find it interesting that even as a little kid he was taking things apart. He had a fascination with clocks and watches. When ever his mom wasn't looking he would take them apart and hopefully put them back together. Usually he did. Frank also had a thing for spoons. When he was little he would bend them to fit into the bowls better. Every spoon that my grandma had was bent.

   Frank also really enjoyed building model ships. We have the USS Constitution here. It is rather large and goes into great detail. How he had the patience I have no idea.

   Frank was a great kid who was good at getting out of trouble. When he was about 17, my mom & dad got a phone call from the police. He had stolen an 8 ball from a pool hall and gotten caught. He thought it would be great on his stick shift. Mom had to go pick him up.

   He also enjoyed going to the race track to watch the buggies. I don't remember much about that because Frank said, " Girls shouldn't go there. ", and that was the only time he wouldn't take me with.

   Latest word from Kory & Jim is they were able to get Wisconsin plates with RAT MRT 1 on it. So now we'll know it by, "Cheese Head / RAT MRT 1". Frank would of like it that way.

Memory of Cruiser, John V. Krunis 1959 - 2007

I met Big John in 1998 at a car show he had Fathom Green 69 roadster with big block tri-power. We were friends soon after. True the years I met his family and got to know him. It was hard to hear he is gone. I like to do a page on him, but Frank's page was hard to do for me. I don't think I can do another. John also die of a heart attack.      He will be miss but never forgotten.