Pushrod News – February 2025

Message from the President

Remembering Sandy Burkhamer

Our condolences go out to the Callaghan family and the entire Pushrod family on the passing of one of the founding pioneers of the Pushrods of Hoquiam Car Club, Sandy Burkhamer.

Sandy was married to Norman Callaghan Sr. and was the mother of Norm and Kelley Callaghan. She will be missed by many.

A celebration of life will be announced at a later date.

Christmas Dinner a Success!

Our annual Christmas meeting and dinner was a success! The total cost of the dinner came to $27 per plate, which I feel was a fair price for the club considering everything we received that evening.

Thank you to everyone who brought Christmas gifts for the kids. It was a fun night for all!

Kelley Callaghan, with some excellent help, did a great job putting everything together. Thank you, Kelley!

Looking Ahead to 2025

The year 2025 is upon us, and we are expecting it to be the best year ever for this club!

Our charity auction is shaping up to be a good one. Patty Rager has done a fabulous job organizing and coordinating the entire project. The sponsors from our community have been very generous, and we appreciate their support.

Fred will once again be our auctioneer, with his wife, Gerri, and daughter helping with the numbers.

We will need runners to carry bids and volunteers to help with loading and unloading. Here’s the work schedule:

Saturday, February 15 – Loading Day

• Meet at Gil’s shop at 10:00 AM.
• We will load all the auction items.
• Bring your gloves and pickups!

Sunday, February 16 – Auction Setup

• I will have the Elks doors open at 8:00 AM.
• We will unload the auction items and begin setting up.
• Patty will need help organizing the tables.

All hands on deck! We are expecting a big crowd. This is an important day that will pay off for the club, so let’s all pitch in and make it happen!

Club Roster

This month, I am including the latest club roster. If you see something that is incorrect, or if someone is missing from the list, please let me know.

February Schedule

Date	Event	Time / Location
Feb. 5	Business Meeting	6:30 PM
Feb. 13	Pushrod Lunch	Buster’s, 12:00 PM
Feb. 15	Load Auction Items	Gil’s Shop, 10:00 AM
Feb. 16	Unload Auction Items	Elks, 8:00 AM
Feb. 19	Board Meeting	Gil’s Shop, 12:00 PM
Feb. 31*	Pushrod Dinner	Duffy’s, 6:00 PM

Please verify the final dinner date.

Rodder of the Month

Bob Shawgo

We are going to spice up the 2025 Pushrod newsletter by adding a Rodder of the Month segment. The old-timers in the club may remember that I did this some years ago.

This month, we’re featuring the life and times of Bob Shawgo.

Early Years and Military Service

Bob was born in 1941 in Seattle. Orphaned and adopted at 13 months old, he moved with his new family to McMinnville, Oregon.

Bob joined the Oregon National Guard on September 9, 1958. One week later, he graduated from high school in 1959 and was shipped to Fort Ord, California, for six months of training.

In 1961, Bob joined the U.S. Air Force for four years. After serving his country, he worked in the parts department of a Chevrolet dealership.

In 1965, he began working at McChord Air Force Base as an aircraft mechanic, where he spent 11 years.

After leaving civil service at McChord, Bob returned to Oregon and worked for a small aircraft company in Seattle before moving on to Boeing, where he spent 24 years, ending in 2024.

The Need for Speed

In 1959, friends took Bob to the Aurora Drag Strip. Seeing those high-powered drag racers sparked his interest in racing.

His first car was a 1950 Oldsmobile four-door 88 with a Rocket 303 engine. Bob’s favorite car of all time, however, is a 1957 Oldsmobile.

Over the years, Bob has owned 20 cars.

His third car was a 1955 Chevrolet with a 265-cubic-inch engine, which he raced in 1961. He eventually moved up in class to D/Gas and C Modified, running a beefed-up 283.

By the middle of the 1970s, work, family, and finances had taken priority. But the racing bug never really went away.

In the late 1970s, while watching the drags at Seattle International Raceway, Bob got the itch again. He found a chassis and trailer in Olympia for $800, installed a 1956 Hemi engine, and went racing with an A/Fuel dragster called “The Northman.”

His personal best was 7.9 seconds at 187 MPH!

Bob raced for three years before time, money, and family once again became the priorities.

Motorcycles and Model Trains

Bob also loves motorcycles. He has owned two big Harley-Davidson bikes and has ridden to Sturgis, South Dakota, seven times, taking a different route each time.

He has ridden up and down the West Coast to Carlsbad, California, four times, along with numerous trips to Utah to visit family and do some sightseeing.

Another of Bob’s passions is model trains. In 2004, he joined the Pierce County Lionel Club and has served as both president and vice-president.

He also helps with the Washington Museum Model Train Festival each December and assists with putting on the BIG model train exhibit at the Puyallup Fairgrounds every year.

Family and Community

Bob was very involved in his children’s activities. His volunteer roles included Boy Scout leader, junior basketball, T-ball, and vice-president of the Fife-Milton Junior Football Program.

Bob has been married to his beautiful, loving, and caring wife, Betty, for 23 years. Together, they have five children: Mike, Kristen, Bob, Erica, and Kirk.

Bob says his family has made him a happy man.

In 2017, Bob moved to the Harbor because of the smaller population and less traffic. He joined the Pushrods in 2020 and became our treasurer in 2021.

At 83 years of age, Bob still loves the opportunity to do community service and help others.

His current car projects are a 1941 Ford two-door sedan and a 1968 Chevrolet.

Like most of us, he needs a bigger garage!

Note from the Editor

On Friday, January 31, we took a trip to La Spiaggia Ristorante, an Italian restaurant located at:

La Spiaggia Ristorante
729 Point Brown Ave. NW
Ocean Shores, WA 98569
Website: laspiaggiaristorante.com
Phone: (360) 289-2328

Fourteen Pushrodders jumped into the Five Star Community Van, driven by Jim Daly, and made the trek to Ocean Shores.

The food and wine were excellent. The service was great. The conversation was loud, but comfortable, and we all learned a bit more about each other.

We made it there and back safely, so all in all, it was a great evening with good friends!

Joke(s) Corner

I have found that…

Life is like a roll of toilet paper. The closer you get to the end, the faster it goes.

Don’t argue with an idiot. Observers may not be able to tell the difference.

Question: Why is it that our kids can’t read a Bible in school, but they can in prison?

Wouldn’t you know it? Brain cells come and brain cells go, but fat cells seem to live forever.

Question: Why is it that I have to swear on a Bible in court, but the Ten Commandments cannot be displayed there?

See you all Wednesday at our regular meeting!