Ivy Johnson, Supra legend, has passed away

[Supracentral]

Sorry to be the one to pass this along.

(You kids, this man was a legend in the early Supra days, and a dear friend.)

Ivy, you will be missed.

Subject: Ivy Johnson Passing
Date: 2013-01-21 13:09
From: "Bob Gash"
To: ---

Sorry to be writing this note, but I just heard from Larry that Ivy passed away yesterday. He was in intensive care, and had a number of complications that had developed, beginning with a blood-clot in his heart area.

Ivy hadn't been active in our Supra "community" for some time; however, along with a number of folks on this mailing, he was one of the early pioneers in the Atlanta area. [If I'm not mistaken, back in 1996 or '97, Chris "wacked" Ivy's Mustang rather decisively - he decided if you can't beat 'em, join 'em!]

If you knew Ivy, you have plenty of stories, as he could be more than a bit excessive when driving his red TT-converted-to-a-T04R. My favorite: I was riding with Jason in his Supra late one Friday on Barrett, and ran into Ivy.

We were behind him at a light, when a cop pulled in behind us. The light turned green, and the cop went around us and got on Ivy's tail. Ivy thought it was us, and took off like a mad-man. Although way behind Ivy by then, the cop eventually got his lights on.

Thankfully, Ivy saw him, and pulled over and waited. I guess the cop was so flabbergasted by the whole thing, Ivy talked him into letting him off with only a warning! We all laughed for a week after that one. Certainly the "good old days" - probably jail-time if it happened today:-(...

Some of the addresses listed may be old, and I'm sure I left out a few folks - please pass along.

Thanks, and please have a safe, healthy, and happy
new year.

BG

Bob Gash

I've got my own stories about Ivy, but not today. Maybe later. They are all epic. The man was a complete trip...

 

[suprarx7nut]

Damn, I can't say I had heard of him. Sounds like he led a life full of great stories and I look forward to hearing some when the time comes.

RIP

 

[te72]

Sorry to hear about this Mike. Didn't know him in any way, but it sounds like the world is a worse place without.

Also in for stories when the time is right.

 

[Supracentral]

Sometime back in the late 1990's, I was sitting in parking lot over the McD's by DynoLab in Marietta, GA waiting to meet up with Eric Varah and Will Neely. (The 3 of us all had white Supras.) While sitting there messing with my radio, I hear this incredible sound. It sounded like a giant sport bike with a turbo. I look out my window and there's this lunatic in a red MKIV using the cars in the parking lot as pylons for his own personal mini slalom. I'm not exaggerating., he's doing figure eights between the parked cars. Right about then, the driver must have noticed this other Supra sitting in the lot, and heads straight towards my drivers door at full boost, I think to myself "this is going to hurt", at the last second he cuts the wheel and slides up next to me, wiggles his eyebrows, laughs and then goes wheeling off with smoke pouring out of the wheel wells.

I thought to myself, "I have to meet this guy" and followed after him.

He stopped and literally talked my ear off for well over an hour. Crazy stories, probably at least 1/2 of them true. I'm sure I heard all of them at least a dozen times over the years, and they always got a little more entertaining and a little more elaborate with each telling.

That's how I met Ivy Johnson.

I will miss that always upbeat demeanor of his. He was a hell of a nice guy.

 

[Supracentral]

Sometime back in the late 1990's, I was sitting in parking lot over the McD's by DynoLab in Marietta, GA waiting to meet up with Eric Varah and Will Neely. (The 3 of us all had white Supras.) While sitting there messing with my radio, I hear this incredible sound. It sounded like a giant sport bike with a turbo. I look out my window and there's this lunatic in a red MKIV using the cars in the parking lot as pylons for his own personal mini slalom. I'm not exaggerating., he's doing figure eights between the parked cars. Right about then, the driver must have noticed this other Supra sitting in the lot, and heads straight towards my drivers door at full boost, I think to myself "this is going to hurt", at the last second he cuts the wheel and slides up next to me, wiggles his eyebrows, laughs and then goes wheeling off with smoke pouring out of the wheel wells.

I thought to myself, "I have to meet this guy" and followed after him.

He stopped and literally talked my ear off for well over an hour. Crazy stories, probably at least 1/2 of them true. I'm sure I heard all of them at least a dozen times over the years, and they always got a little more entertaining and a little more elaborate with each telling.

That's how I met Ivy Johnson.

I will miss that always upbeat demeanor of his. He was a hell of a nice guy.

This is the Supra Ivy was driving:	Here's the one I was in:

 

[Turbo Habanero]

I just want to pay my respects.

 

[te72]

Hah, Ivy does indeed sound like a hoot and a half Mike. Would have loved to have met him hearing even just the intro...

 

[Insidious Surmiser]

always sad to hear people pass under the most unexpected circumstances... especially the nice guys... at least he is at peace now. RIP