Terrible News -- Ed Hudson RIP

[JohnCh]

I received some devastating news today via the old USA2005 Se7ens.net mailing list. Ed Hudson, a.k.a. Hudson on this forum, was killed in a bicycle accident last month. The following article has the details, but if there’s any solace to those who knew him, he died doing one of the things he loved. Ed and I were in regular contact, typically sharing multiple emails per week, so although it was odd that he hadn’t returned my last few over the past month, it never occurred to me that it was an ominous sign. I just assumed he was busy prepping for his European bike trip in August.

 

For those of us lucky enough to have known Ed, he will be remembered as a kind, generous, modest, easy going, and very intelligent guy. He was my regular touring buddy, having done several trips together including 2 in our se7ens from Monterey to my house in Seattle, and a fly-in event for Rennsport Reunion a year and a half ago. In fact just last month we committed to doing the Monterey tour again next summer.

 

Words are failing me, so I'll close up with a couple of pictures to remember him by. The first was taken along Highway 1 on USA 2005, where we first met, and the second was taken in the cockpit of a McLaren MP4-12C in Monterey in 2010 - a car that tempted him regularly.

 

 

http://www.throttle-steer.com/uploads/1/1/0/8/11083275/4159713_orig.jpg

 

http://www.throttle-steer.com/uploads/1/1/0/8/11083275/166926_orig.jpg

 

You’ll be missed my friend…

 

-John

[Croc]

Very sad news. He was the perfect gentleman in my correspondence with him. At age 61 he was too young to go.

[Alaskossie]

John,

 

That is really terrible news. What a great Seven enthusiast, and a fine touring companion! I knew that you and Ed had done some long Seven drives together, and were planning more.

 

I first met Ed in Vail, Colorado in 2005, where I participated with bsimon in the Colorado leg of the Brits’ “How the West was Driven” epic Seven tour from Houston to San Francisco. I was not a Seven owner then, just a wannabe, but I recall how open and enthusiastic Ed was in discussing the details of his fast, extra-wide-track, aluminum-block Vauxhall-engined Series 3 Caterham. It wore South Carolina plates, but he shipped it all across the country to participate in Seven trips.

 

After finishing my Seven build in Colorado in late July 2010, I drove from Denver to the Monterey Historics, where I met you and Ed for our planned tour up through California, Oregon and Washington, before saying farewell to you two near the British Columbia border, to continue my journey to Alaska. Those were some of the most intense day-long driving experiences I’ve ever had, getting acquainted with my Seven on routes entirely suited to the Seven’s purpose, following you and Ed mile after mile after mile, no holds barred, on narrow paved roads through forests and pastures, with Ed’s turn signal continuing to blink for miles on end (as often as not), while he continued to insist that he certainly did not need an audible beeper to remind him to cancel it!

 

At the Monterey Historics, Ed lusted after a race-prepared Jaguar E-Type that was for sale, and it was fun to be hanging out with a guy who was actually in the market for such a car. Several years later, I e-mailed with Ed about his Haggis Tour through Scotland in a rented Seven – he said the biggest hazard was pulling out to pass, and then realizing part-way through the maneuver that he was in a 140-hp rental Seven, and not in his own powerful machine.

 

I am attaching three photos taken on our 2010 drive from Monterey to northern Washington.

 

Ed, you will be very sadly missed by all who knew you – you have left the Seven community much too soon.

[Kitcat]

Truely sad. And riding a bicycle with friends seems like a relatively safe hobby. As John said, he died doing what he loved.

[catracer]

I'm stunned. Ed was, without a doubt, one of the finest people I've met. Really one of the good guys. I had the pleasure to work with him on VX7 over the last decade. He was just here several weeks ago to pickup the car after some additional work over the winter. We visited a while. Always the gentleman he would always ask after all my family, my wife, the kids.....

Goodbye Ed.

[Sean]

Really saddened to read this. After hanging out with Mr. Hudson at the last two Monterey events he attended, I can't imagine anybody would ever have anything unpleasant to say about him; a real decent guy. Thanks for letting us know, John, even though it is tremendously sad news.

[johnh]

I too have fond memories of Ed having met him on PNW 2007 (has it been six years already?) RIP!

 

---john.

[Al N.]

Wow.

 

I met Ed at the 7-7-7 event and although he only stopped in for a day, his menacing car was a hit with owners and spectators (and journalists!) alike.

 

I did correspond with him several times in the years since then, and he was always generous with his time and supportive of the club and our efforts. I was always impressed with his dedication to the hobby...shipping his car to join tours here and there.

 

I'm happy to have known him and had the chance to meet in person.

 

RIP HURAD.

[slomove]

I was shocked as well when I received this on the USA2005 mailing list. I toured with Ed on the 2005 trip and he joined us for the PNW2007 tour as well. Below a touring picture somewhere in Washington State (photo by Louise Rutter).

 

[slngsht]

Not what I was expecting to see. RIP Ed