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It’s with a heavy heart and profound sadness that I inform forum members of the passing of the extraordinary Stu Aull. To everyone who has hung around the 1st gen section for any time, Stu needs no introduction. I’m sure he touched many of us in one way or another. As a professional photographer and videographer by trade, Stu had a sharp eye through a lens. A true Rotary enthusiast, he was Canadian by birth, living in Alaska for many years with his wife Maureen. A few years ago they relocated to Arizona lock, stock and rotary barrel to enjoy warmer weather in preparation for retirement. As a bonus, Stu got to indulge himself in the more active car culture of the region.
Stu was a great ambassador for our cars and was a virtual encyclopedia on Rotary trivia. He possessed a special passion for everything Rotary and genuinely loved these little cars for the simple enjoyment he got from owning and driving them. His beaming pride and joy was his “Lit’l Bastid”, a Sunrise Red 1980 he customized with LS gold wheels, Rx-8 seats and several added, european spec bits and appointments. He constantly fussed with his “beloved” to keep it maintained and looking good. He had several Rotary friends (RotoBro’s as he called them) both here and in other parts of the world and his ability to unearth obscure, unobtainium NOS parts could be uncanny.
He owned several different Rotary cars through his life and was always eager to help and share his experience with anyone asking. His wisdom always delivered in detail, in a good natured and quick wit that couldn’t be ignored. He made friends wherever he went and had a style and personality that naturally attracted his Rotary friends to gravitate around him. In fact, after a number of years exchanging regular, personal emails with Stu, he began a group chat that brought all his RotoBro’s together for weekly sessions of “Stu’s Rotary Ramblings” where a lively banter of all manor of Rotary discussions took place. Favorite topics included useless Rotary trivia, current status of ongoing projects and expert, in depth analysis of the latest pristine 1st Gen to surface for sale, somewhere on the internet.
I learned of his illness about a year ago but he never elorbratied much on the nature of its seriousness, instead focusing on the things he loved. Another friend and forum member who visited Stu in the hospital last week jokingly gave him a bottle of Idemitsu premix as a supplement for his feeding tube for a quick recovery. He leaves behind a wife and (I believe) two sons. Will try to provide some contact info if anyone wants to leave their condolences. I’ve learned a lot from Stu, both about these cars and what it means to have a true passion for them. You will always be missed my friend but never forgotten. May the Rotary Gods be with you in eternity.
Wow. Amazing pictures, having never met or talked with Stu, i can immediately feel his presence. Nice write up, and a sad day that a good one was lost. I love the last picture, and his fitting license plate.
All the little hidden touches he had done to his car were great. It was like an Easter egg hunt of hey wait a minute, Stu would smile at you and then tell the story of the rare part or slight difference you just spotted.
Stu was always quick to share what he knew when you needed to learn something new about our cars. Hes helped me on many occasions and his passion for his car was infectious. RIP.
Stu was a very nice and helpful person indeed. I have never met him, but we have had a lot of e-mail contacts in the past years. he adopted me in his Rotary family a few years ago, and he brightened up many Sundays with his weekly announcements of his rotary related activities. I did not know that he was a professional photographer and Videographer but I did notice that he has shared many high quality pictures over the past years. A very nice selection was included in this memorial.
I will cherish my very warm memories to this very special person! We have lost a very good man in him.
Jurgen
Never had any non-thread interactions with him, but I must say it saddens me to hear this. Comfort goes to his family and I hope time helps it to sting much less than it must at this moment.
Really saddened to hear about this today, as Stu was a fixture around the 1st Gen forum. I first met him in person as we made the trek from Phoenix to SevenStock20 - my first year in attendance, and Stu and I stuck together on the route, since it's always nice to roll with your own generation. We had a lot of great conversation along the way, and lunch stops offered a chance to walk around and ask him questions about his unique SA22C. Having owned one as my first car (LS model), we shared a lot of common experiences of ownership. Here's the RCCAZ send off photo from that year:
A few years later, I wasn't able to make SS, but met everyone out at the send off location, and here was Stu - waiting for everyone to arrive so they could get on the road. I flew with them for awhile down the freeway until my exit, and waved to Stu as he sped by. Little did I know that would be the last time I'd see him in person.
The forum loses a significant member with Stu' s passing. I know I learned a ton from him, we shared a lot of laughs and good times, and most of all, we shared a passion for these over 40 year old cars that just isn't found anywhere else. Condolences to his family and friends here. He will be greatly missed.
This is fundamentally sad. Thanks @Banzai for all of the excellent photos...I had only seen the last one (taken as I recall when he drove from Alaska to Arizona) so I never saw his face, just a very happy dude looking into the sun next to an awesome red car. That photo is, like Stu, iconic on this forum. I'm gonna miss him here.
Just one example of how he's helped me: every year I print out Stu's guide to store my RX7 for the winter, follow it dutifully, and cross my fingers that the mice respect the boundary of dryer sheets and Irish Spring. So far, no chewed wires and my engine bay comes back to me smelling fresh!
Just one example of how he's helped me: every year I print out Stu's guide to store my RX7 for the winter, follow it dutifully, and cross my fingers that the mice respect the boundary of dryer sheets and Irish Spring. So far, no chewed wires and my engine bay comes back to me smelling fresh!
Yes, believe it or not, during all his time in Alaska the crazy bastid had no garage! He had his own fall, pagan ritual winterization process, followed by a re-animation the following spring. I kept telling him to upgrade with a garage but it wasn't until he went to Arizona that he finally was able to park inside.
I’m still in a state of shock and disbelief since I visited him about a week ago in the hospital and he seemed upbeat about his recovery. Pic from that visit. As Banzai mentioned previously, I jokingly told him that the premix was a supplement for his feeding tube.
As late as Wednesday of last week, he emailed me stating that he was scheduled for release from the hospital Thursday to transition over to their rehab center across the street.
I have very few details, but expect that his wife will reach out to me soon, once she’s had a chance to process exactly what’s happened. Once I get more information I’ll pass it along.
Stu was a one of kind enthusiast, extremely passionate about all things automotive, but especially his “beloved Bastid”, the name he gave to his 1980 Sunrise Red RX-7. He also loved classic motorcycles and had an old Ducati that he was planning to restore.
Stu claimed to be an introvert, which was laughable to those enthusiasts like myself who called him our rotary brother, or “RotorBro.” He could always be counted on to attend drives or car shows in the Phoenix area, even though he lived in Sedona, a two hour drive from most events.
A few pics from better times…
Stu in January of this year with myself (left) and our friend John Whittnebel (right).
Stu loved nostalgic car events and came with me the last two years to the Arizona Classic Japanese car show in Williams, Arizona. Cruising with him up Hwy 89A from Sedona to Flagstaff enroute to the show are memories that I’ll cherish forever.
John, myself, and Stu. The three Rotary Amigos with my yellow FD RX-7 at concours in the Hills in Fountain Hills, Arizona back in February 2022.
Stu may be gone physically, but for those of us who’s lives he touched, he’ll never be forgotten. Rest in Paradise brother🏎💨💨💨.
I have learned so much from him through his posts in my five years of ownership. Three years ago his silver SA set a record on BAT. This clip of his fun drive has been on my playlist:
Yes, Stu produced that video. Another example of his OCD like attention to detail. The car did set a bar on Bat at the time for SA's. It was owned however by RCCAZ 1. It's an extremely clean and original car from California originally.
The enthusiast who cares for it now, used to own one just like it back in the day.
Very sad to hear this, never met him in person, but have known him on here for many years. A true old school enthusiast in every sense of the word. He will be missed...
Oh no My heart is very heavy hearing of Stu's passing. We were recently speaking about unobtanium parts and I had no idea that he was ill. The community is a lesser place without him. He was such an incredible person and was a legend that had my utmost respect. I will miss him dearly.
Here’s a ‘cool’ nugget, produced by Stu and starring his brother. It’s a student film he made for his Film course while attending technical college in Calgary circa 1982, for his degree in “Television Arts”.
The film stars his R100 (The ‘Phoenix’), one of numerous dead R100s that Stu collected in the 70s for spare parts. The movie was shot on 16mm film, not video.
My heart is very heavy hearing of Stu's passing. We were recently speaking about unobtanium parts and I had no idea that he was ill. The community is a lesser place without him. He was such an incredible person and was a legend that had my utmost respect. I will miss him dearly.
