In 1973, President Don Gibel
presented the first Don Hoskins Memorial Award to Roth Shelly of Florida
for the contributions he made to his fellow NCCC members.
The Award continues to be presented to deserving Members by NCCC's President each year at the NCCC Awards Banquet at the NCCC Annual Convention. |
Don Hoskins Below is a remembrance by Jann Raymond
of N.C.C.C & and Don's fellow member of the Corvette Club of Iowa (C.C.I.) that appeared in the May/June 1973 issue of Blue Bars
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"If Corvette members ever had a friend, it was Don Hoskins. On April 14, 1973,
Don entered the hospital with a heart condition, and on April 15, we lost our
friend - but
not the memories of what Corvettes and the people he met through Corvettes did for him, and for us.
Don had a knack for proving that Corvettes and N.C.C.C. members are one of the greatest in the ranks of
sports car owners and clubs anywhere.
From being a Charter Member of N.C.C.C., to helping organize the Corvette Club of Iowa on April 15, 1962,
Don was the most dedicated member that N.C.C.C. and C.C.I. could ever have in their organization.
Don purchased his 1960 Corvette, which has always been in concours condition,
after
falling in love with them when he and his wife, Erna, attended a race at Road America.
Don received many honors in N.C.C.C. and other Corvette clubs around the states.
He received a first place concours award in the Corvette Corral at Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin; at
Cadillac, Michigan; Cleveland, Ohio; and Baltimore, Maryland; not mentioning various other concours
that he received first place for.
One of Don's biggest thrills was receiving the
President's
Award from Rich Goranflo in 1968. Don is the only N.C.C.C. member not holding an Office to ever receive this award, presented
annually to the person who has contributed the most to N.C.C.C. **
A lot of you will remember Don at the Louisville Convention as the official flagman,
this being his number one job for C.C.I. and other sports car clubs as well as many
conventions. Don spent many hours promoting N.C.C.C. and Corvette clubs. He was never too busy to
talk to you or take time out to explain to you what N.C.C.C. was.
If we would take one Corvette lover, add eight conventions, add a person who would help when asked, add a
friendly smile and handshake, add a super clean black 1960 Corvette ( he put all but one mile on it ) and
what would we have? We would have Don Hoskins, the member and friend that we won't forget.
The one who was proud of his Corvette and his friends, and particularly his devoted wife, Erna.
Don was proud of his privilege and responsibility in helping N.C.C.C. and C.C.I. to be a brighter,
happier organization, and to grow - mentally, physically and spiritually. Don was dedicated to fulfilling his
privilege and responsibility with integrity, energy and pride - and this he did.
Our sympathy goes to his wife, Erna, his son and daughter-in-law, Larry and Mary, and to his grandson, Brian.
We will all miss Don, but the memories will not be unremembered.
For Don was a man with a Corvette, friends, and kindness in his heart." Jann Raymond ~ N.C.C.C./C.C.I.
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