# The Passing of a GTO Legend



## GTO JUDGE (May 14, 2005)

The GTO world has lost a legend.

John Sawruk; An ICON in the Pontiac world passed away on Novenber 12, 2008 after a long battle with cancer. Below is a letter sent from the GTOAA Chapter Coordinator to all GTOAA chapter Presidents. 

"It is with great saddens that we must tell you that our dear friend and long-time GTOAA supporter John Sawruk passed away early this morning, November 12, after a long battle with cancer. We will greatly miss John's advice and support at our meets and his friendship. Our thoughts and prayers are with his wife Marge, and the entire Sawruk family.

John Sawruk was an important figure in the automotive field for his engineering work and later for his role as historian for the Pontiac Motor Division of General Motors. He was well known to GTOAA members through the numerous technical articles he wrote for The Legend and many other magazines, and through the popular and informative seminars he conducted at our national and regional meets.

John began his career with GM in 1967 as an intern, and became an engineer in the Special Problems Laboratory in 1968. Among his many career highlights was his appointment as Supervisor of GM's Experimental Powertrain Group in 1978. In 1983, he was named official GM Historian for Pontiac. He ran Pontiac Motorsports and Specialty Vehicles in 1986, before returning to Advanced Vehicle Engineering.
John retired as a GM Engineering Director in 2002.

John was also well-known in the Pontiac hobby through his 1971 1/2 Pontiac GT-37, a car of historical significance because it was produced in very limited quantity.

With his vast knowledge of all things Pontiac and the enthusiasm he brought to the automotive hobby, John will be deeply missed. The GTOAA is planning a special tribute to John in the January 2009 issue of The Legend. Anyone who would like to contribute something about their relationship or experiences with him are asked to contact Editor Tom Szymczyk, [email protected]."


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## EEZ GOAT (Jul 9, 2005)

RIP he will be missed


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## alsgto04 (Nov 21, 2007)

Sad stuff there.


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## GTO06 (Dec 7, 2006)

Godspeed ...rest in peace Yoda

Morty


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## raspantienator (Nov 20, 2007)

Sorry to hear that. Rest in peace.


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## GTO JUDGE (May 14, 2005)

Thanks Morty......

SVGTO will be making a donation to one of the research centers in John's name.


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## GTO06 (Dec 7, 2006)

Sawruk, John M.,PE, age 61, of White Lake; passed away on November 12, 2008, at his home with his family by his side. Loving husband of Marjorie for 40 years and caring father of John M. Sawruk, Jr., Jeffrey J. Sawruk and Jennifer M. Sawruk; grandfather of Mikaila B. Ribianszky; son of Helen Sawruk and the late John Sawruk of NJ, brother of James (Janet) Sawruk of PA and Gary (Susan) Sawruk of NJ; uncle of Jeremy of PA and Amanda and Christine of NJ; brother-in-law of Virginia Wetmore and the late Joseph K. Wetmore of NJ; son-in-law of the late Kimball F. and Marjorie Wetmore. John was a licensed Professional Engineer, receiving his Mechanical Engineering degree from Newark College of Engineering and his MBA from Wayne State. He devoted his entire 34-year career to Pontiac Engineering. After his retirement in 2002, he wrote a regular column in several Pontiac automotive magazines, and was a regular contributor to two major car club publications. Upon his retirement, he continued to be enthusiastic about cars, attending the annual National Convention of the Pontiac-Oakland Club, International and GTO Association of America from 1983-present. He was a member of St. Patrick Church and held memberships in many organizations, such as, Tau Beta Pi and Pi Tau Sigma (honorary engineering societies) and Theta Chi fraternity as well as many car clubs. He loved collecting Lionel toy trains and Pontiac memorabilia including what he referred to as “trash and trinkets” as long as it was Pontiac related. During his career, he became the official historian for PMD in addition to his engineering duties. He could spit out camshaft numbers like you wouldn’t believe, but don’t ask him when his parents’ anniversary was! He had a stint as the head of Pontiac Motorsports for several years and always got a kick out of Dale Earnhardt calling him, “Mr. Pontiac”. A highlight of this career was being presented with the prestigious Boss Kettering Award from GM related to a patent he received for an intake manifold on the 4-cylinder, “Iron Duke” engine. He was very proud of the fact that his father served on the battleship, North Carolina during WWII. His car friends referred to him as a walking encyclopedia; or some called him Yoda, but to the family, he was just Dad or Sweetheart. The Funeral Mass will be celebrated on Monday, November 17, 2008, at 11 a.m. at St. Patrick Catholic Church, 9086 Hutchins Rd., White Lake. Visitation on Sunday from 2-8 p.m. the Highland Chapel of the Elton Black & Son Funeral Home, 3295 E. Highland Road, Highland. Mr. Sawruk will lie in state at church from 10 a.m. until Mass. Interment at White Lake Cemetery, White Lake. Please, in lieu of flowers, consider donations specifically to kidney cancer research at the University of Michigan or Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Research in New York City… Envelopes will be available at the funeral home.


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## 05GTO (Oct 6, 2004)

*The Sawruk GT-37 Memorial Print*

Click on image to order print,

*Automotive Portait of the Sawruk 1971 1/2 Pontiac GT-37*​
John M. Sawruk, P.E. (Professional Engineer), Pontiac Motor Division Historian, author and columnist for Pontiac Enthusiast magazine, High Performance Pontiac magazine, The Legend (memberzine for the GTO Association of America), and Smoke Signals (memberzine for the Pontiac Oakland Club of America), technical advisor for both the GTOAA and POCI, and dedicated Pontiac enthusiast, passed away at age 61 on November 12, 2008 after a prolonged battle with cancer.

John will be remembered by family and friends alike as a talented engineer and as an extremely active and dedicated member of the Pontiac hobbyist community–locally in the southeast Michigan area, nationally, and worldwide.

Beginning in 1968, John served his entire automotive career with General Motors. Early on, John worked in Mac MacKellar’s PMD engineering group on projects dealing with engine development. He contributed to programs such as the 455HO, SD-455 and Pontiac’s "Iron Duke" 4-cylinder engine. In fact, one of John’s highest professional honors at General Motors came in the form of a "Boss Kettering Award" that was bestowed upon him in 1979 as a result of his engineering efforts on the Iron Duke’s intake manifold design. His work history encompassed positions in PMD engineering, as manager of Pontiac Motorsports, and as Director of Engineering for the GM L-platform (Corsica/Beretta/Tempest). That 34-year sojourn took him from engineering lab to NASCAR superspeedway paddocks and NHRA dragstrip pit rows, to assembly plant floors and management committee meeting rooms. His extracurricular corporate experiences included participation in the restoration of the Silvermist Gray 1964 LeMans GTO currently residing within the General Motors Historic Collection and assisting in the creation of the concept Grand Am "sport truck." He had a developmental hand in the creation of the SD-4 Fiero, and served as a post-retirement consultant for the planning and marketing group charged with bringing a new GTO to the American roads in 2004. At one time or another during the past forty years, most major aspects of the creation and production of the modern Pontiac product was experienced by this man. Thankfully, he chose to share this priceless knowledge freely, tirelessly, and extensively with the Pontiac faithful.

In early November, 2008, illustrator and fellow Pontiac enthusiast, Eric White, created the portrait displayed above and presented it to John and his wife, Marge. The image represents the 1971 1/2 Pontiac GT-37 that the Sawruks purchased new in 1971. Special ordered in Starlight Black, it features the late-year-design GT-37 "sword style" side stripe appliqué in reflective gold. In the mid-'70s the Sawruks sold the GT-37. After suffering several years of seller's regret, the Sawruk family located and reacquired their favorite black Pontiac. In the early 1990's the faithful GT-37 was treated to a world-class restoration by Scott Tiemann and the craftsmen at Supercar Restorations in Portland, MI. The exceptional quality of the restoration was recognized by the GTOAA when the car was awarded a "Concours Best of Show" at the 1994 GTOAA International Convention. 

In memory of her late husband, Marge Sawruk has given permission to White House Graphics to reprint this artwork and offer it to the public. Of the thirty-five dollar purchase price, twenty-five dollars will be donated, in John Sawruk's name, to the kidney cancer research programs of the University of MIchigan and the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Research Center in New York City.

Size: 19" x 13"

Method of Production: Six-color Ink Jet

Material Stock: 100# Strathmore Bristol Board

Signed and dated by the artist

Price: $35 ea. ($25 to be donated ) + $6 shipping

Method of Payment: Personal Check, Money Order, Paypal

Click here to order the Sawruk GT-37 Memorial Print by personal check or money order


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