Putting TBN To Bed

[JudgeJudy]

It is with much sadness and a very heavy heart that this post is written. TBN is on its final flight and will be landing in the nest for the last time at the end of this month. It has been on a long journey and lasted much longer than anyone thought it would. It has provided us with a place to gather, create friendships that became a TBN family and organize events we could drive our cars to and have fun, fun, fun. What more could we ask for. Now it is time for TBN to fly back to the nest and be put to bed for the final time.

Sadly Spence lost his fight and passed away on December 29. He put up a very good fight and never gave up. We were together 45 years. I have a lot of good memories of all the things we accomplished and did together, many of them after we bought Misty Blue (our thunderbird).

The core TBN family actually started in 2001 while we were anxiously waiting for our cars to be built and shipped to us. After we finally received our cars, one brilliant gentleman from the Atlanta area thought it would be nice for some of us to finally meet each other in person. I think that is when the first Pappasito's was set up. That same gentleman decided it might be nice to organize an event and so the Atlanta group organized Destin. That turned into a bigger event than any of them were expecting. Things just kept moving forward from there. The membership to TBN kept growing and growing. People kept organizing events for any of us to attend that could make it. And we just had fun, fun, fun. We became such a close group that I felt like everyone had become a TBN family. Spence and I were with TBN from its very beginning. And a part of Spence is with me now helping me to tuck TBN in the nest for a final time.

Thank you TBN for providing us with a wonderful place to gather. You did your job and it was a great job.

Thank you Misty Blue for taking Spence and I on such a fantastic out of this world journey through all forty-eight states and several providences in Canada. We saw so much beauty that this country has to offer.

RIP TBN and Spence

Love,
Judge Judy

PS: Thank you everyone from the bottom of my heart for your friendship and all the support you gave to TBN in so many ways.

[Rodeo Joe]

Hi Judy,

First off I want to say that I'm so sorry that Spence passed away. I haven't been here as long as a lot of other people but definitely had fun at the shows and meets. I did get a chance to meet both of you at Thunderama in Maine a few years ago.

Second, I'm really going to miss this place!

Thanks for the memories folks!

Joe

[merlot4]

I'm so sorry for your loss -and our loss, with the passing away of Spence, He was a moving force, as was TBN, and gave us a sense of community. All best wishes to you and family.
Richard

[twhiller]

Judy,
Louise and I are so saddened to hear of Spence passing and the end of an era. We joined TBN in 2003 and met you and Spence as we followed you to our first event in Atlanta. We have so many memories of all the TBN events we attended and the friends we met over the years. They say all good things come to an end. We are getting older and the cars too.
A big thank you to you for all you have done to help Spence run the website. Wish you the best.
Tom & Louise

[RustyFrye]

Judy,

Sorry for your loss. Spence will be missed, as well as you and TBN.

I bought my TBird in 2003 and stumbled across TBN within the following year. Never would I have imagined the great amount of fun and adventure that would follow. So very glad I did not go for the Mercedes 500SL that led me to thinking of getting a convertible. TBN was a blessing.

Please stay well.

[clenet]

Dear Judy, I am so sorry to hear of Spence's passing and I understand your feeling about TBN and what to do. TBN has had a good run and so many have enjoyed all that it has provided for us all. I really think the writing was on the wall after the death of Ron McCloud and the damage that COVID did to everyone. It really is a real shock that over twenty years has gone by so fast and we all have gotten older. I still think of my Thunderbirds as NEW cars and will never buy anything newer. I do hope that the younger people will discover our Thunderbirds and keep things going. But who knows we will see. My prayers are with you and your family. Thanks again for all your work. Evan.

[02-T-Bird]

I am truely sorry to hear of Spence’s passing, may he rest in piece as a true fighter of the ugliness of the disease.

TBN has been a god sent for me. In 2008 we attended our first gathering at Chattanooga Choo Choo and Mitzi and I were welcomed with open arms and made to feel like we had been part of the TBN Family all along. Both Mitzi and I attended every event we were able to attend and marvelled how well the events were organized. What was the bigger surprise was how many friend we had met from Canada and the United States that I will keep as friends until I take my last breath. 2015 was our last event together when we went to Black Hills so it is one that I think of often.

After Mitzi’s passing in 2017 I made a promise to her that I would continue to attend as many events as I possibly could. I also promised to continue our journey to make it to the “Celebrate 48” club which I accomplished on the same trip that Spence and Judy did when we crossed into California for number 48. In 2018 when I left to Pappasitos Event alone it was one of the toughest things I’ve ever done, I think I turned around three times to head back home. But once I made it to the event the whole group were so warming and they all helped me get through the tough time that I was enduring. Mitzi did join me on every trip, posthumously of course hanging on the purse hook of the clove compartment door.

I may not have been as active of late but I do check in regularly and I will miss doing so. I hope to meet up with other members whenever possible in the future.

TBN has given me the thought that I repeat to all. Make the journey as much of an adventure as the destination.

That line has been the last line I post when I’m letting family know where I am and what I’ve seen.

Thank you TBN for the memories but more so for the wonderful people I have been blessed to meet and call friends.

Ted and Mitzi Sturgeon.

[#007Tbirdsteve]

So sorry Judy for Spence’s loss. TBN has been a wonderful “meeting point” for so many of us over the years. It was always like seeing family when we had TBN events. I still check it every day and will miss having it to go to. May God be with you and your family. Karen and Steve Nelson

[Dizzbe]

Judy, most importantly I am so sorry at the passing of Spence. With over 20 yrs of knowing you both via the TBN events, he was definitely a fixture in the Thunderbird realm. My condolences to you.

Buying my TBird and finding this site was life changing for me. As most of you know I spent most of my time in a demanding and stressful career. The TBN events were my fun time and the friends made are cherished. If anyone still wants to travel or meet up, let me know as I am retired and am always ready to go somewhere.

will miss you all ❤️❤️❤️

[RQTBIRD]

Judy so sorry to hear of your loss. Spence will be missed.

It's also sad to hear TBN will be ending. The memories will continue to be cherished. This website has been a wealth of information on our cars with everyone willing to help others. Even today there was at a garage sale down the street, and a lady happened to notice my TBird in the garage. She stopped and said she also had a black 2003 Thunderbird. I told her about this site and that you could search for problems that you and others have had and suggestions for a solution.

Hope to see our TBN friends down the road.
Roger & Sharon

[2K2BIRD]

Judy,

We've talked a couple times since Spence passed. You are well aware how much both of you and all of our TBN family have meant to us over the years. We've met so many wonderful people and been so many places as a direct result of this website, having been fortunate enough to be a part of TBN from the beginning and attending the first major event in Destin, Florida over 23 years ago.

While all of our events were amazing in so many different ways, a specific one comes to mind when I think of Spence and you. It was the Thunder Out West travel event when y'all and Misty Blue joined the Celebrate 48 Club, along with Ted & Mitzi, Dave Egan and our 2nd time around. I know it was on Spence's and your bucket lists for a long time. So glad we were able to make it happen before his health begin to fail him. Good times!

While it was no secret Spence was ill, his passing so quickly still came as a shock. We wish you peace in these days of sorrow and adjustment.

Paul and Rosetta

[Thunderplump]

Very sad all the way around. I'm new here and I won't appreciate the loss the way some of the longer members will.
I'm sorry we're losing this site, and especially sorry to Judy who has lost Spence.
God be with you all. Stay on the Path that shines ever brighter until the full light of day (Proverbs 4:18).

[Steve Legel]

Please accept out sincere condolence at Spence's passing. TBN has been a great run, socially, mechanically, and friendships. Early members only had 2 things in common...a Thunderbird and a computer. Thanks for the great run,
Steve Legel

[kcroxton]

The news is so sad about the passing of Spence and the end of TBN. I am so sorry for your loss, Judy.

[DavidA]

Judy:

I want thank you and Spence for all you have done for the TBN community over the past 25 years. Who'da thunk a car and the web would create a whole community. I want to stress the 25 years! In that time, we've travelled all of Canada and the US twice, and even went to Europe, met wonderful people all because everyone bought a new car.

All was terrific an exciting, but it's been 25 years. We are all older and we've lost numerous friends over those 25 years including our late friend Spence. I believe age is catching up to us all as well as the car. We are not able to muster the energy to create another 'event', and I don't think most of our cars are up to the challenge either. Not to disparage the newer owners, but I don't believe they understand the TBN past and what we all did for each other. I certainly hope I am wrong, but I don't think there will ever be another internet group like TBN.

That said, we morn Spence's passing, the passing of so many of out TBN friends and the passing of TBN.

David and Jeannie