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Emanuel Zervakis Obituary
This obituary was originally published in the Richmond Times-Dispatch.
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Memories and Condolences
for Emanuel Zervakis
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Samuel Mancuso
September 15, 2018
Years have passed and remembering Emanuel is an honer . I had the privilege to run the R&D department at
Stock Car Products ,1998-2002, my most memorial position. I'll always remember Emanuel & S.C.P.
Mark Johnson
December 10, 2010
Sorry to here of Mr.Zervakis passing. I plan to build a model car as sort of a tribute to him. It will be his 61 Chevy that I believe he won 2 races in the top level of Nascar in 1961.
DANIEL RAY HAWLEY
March 18, 2005
MR. ZERVAKIS LIVED IN GREENACRES BESIDE THE ALANTIC COAST LINE ON BARTEE RD. MIDLOTHIN, VA, ACROOS THE STREET FROM CHESTERFIELD AUTO PARTS OWNED BY THE ROYALL FAMILY, AT THAT TIME. DRIVERS RAY HENDRICKS, RUNT HARRIS,JOE GERNIGAN' AND ZERVAKIS STAYED AROUND THE SHOP.IT WAS GREAT FOR ME. IT WAS 1947.HE DROVE THE MILK TRUCK. A YOUNG DRIVER HIT ME WITH A CAR AS I WAS LEAVING JUNE DONLEAVY'S SERVICE STATION AND KEEP GOING. MR. ZERVAKIS CAUGHT HIM AT THE RAILROAD TRACKS IN THE MILK TRUCK AND CALL THE POLICE. MR. LUCIAN ROYALL , BROTHER OF NELSON ROYALL WHO OWNED ROYALL SPEEDWAY. CARRIED ME TO THE HOSPITAL. I GOT A JOB AT ROYALL SPEEDWAY WORKING FOR BUTCH THAT NOW LIVES IN TAMPA ,FL. I WAS 8 YEARS OLD. I GOT I PENNY PER BOX FOR THE POPCORN FOR MYSELF, I WOULD MAKE 5.00 PER FRIDAY NIGHT! I WATCH MR ZERVAKIS UNTIL I JOINED THE MARINES. I STAYED 20 YEARS ONLY TO COME BACK RICHMOND, AND MEET HIM IN WESTOVERHILLS AT THE LOCAL BEER JOINT .IT WAS A GREAT DAY AND NITE. 1988. NEVER DID TO GET TO SAY THINKS PROPERLY. MAYBE NOW. THANK YOU!!
Suzie Hunt (Jackson)
June 30, 2004
My thoughts and prayers are with you. You don't know me but your father and my father raced together and I believe my father and my fathers brother race for your father. Their names were Joe and Walter Jackson. My Father Joe passed in 2001 and my Uncle Walter passed this past Monday. I feel your loss. Your father was a very important part of my fathers life.
God bless you all.
Suzie
M
Jean Fulghum
July 3, 2003
Mike I was sorry to hear about you dad my thoughts and prayers to out to you, Sam and Cody. I just heard about this yesterday.
GRAYSON AND JENNY LEWIS
June 30, 2003
May God be with the whole Zervakis Family. GOD BLESS YOU ALL.
Dinah Thomas
June 30, 2003
A lifelong legend has now won the ultimate checkered flag! Our hearts and prayers go out to all the family. Know that you can be proud of who Emanuel was and that he helped so many unselfishly and often times without even being known to have helped. What a great man. He will truly be missed by all who ever came in contact with him. May your racing career continue with those who have gone before! Imagine the racing reunion that is going on now!
Linda Scott
June 29, 2003
Charles Scott and Family
Dave Preston
June 29, 2003
As a true racing legend, you will be greatly missed. Your family is in our thoughts and prayers.
andre grier
June 29, 2003
Heart felt sorrow from all of us at
G&S Racing of Chesapeake, Va. we will miss him.
Lance Childress
June 29, 2003
many memories will stay, but a great man is gone.
Vickie Warden
June 28, 2003
Butch,Tracy and Victoria,
My heart goes out to you today as you say your good bye's to Emanuel.He was a good man and will be greatly missed by all who knew him. My prayers are with you all.
Vickie Warden
Sherri Wells
June 28, 2003
May God bless you in this time of sorrow. I hope you can find some comfort in knowing that Mr. Zervakis touched so many lives and that those people are here for you.
LEGENDS ARE NEVER FORGOTTEN.
Tom Hamilton
June 28, 2003
Emanuel hired my son Bret, sight unseen over the phone and gave him, his start in racing in Virginia. It was late in the year when Bret went out there to work at Stock Car Products and at Chirstmas Emanual invited Bret to his home like part of his family. His kindness has not been forgotten.
Roger Sawyer
June 28, 2003
I am sorry to hear of your father's death. You never know in life who will help shape your future, and your father did just that for my family by supplying us with great race cars. You all are in our prayers.
Roger and Denise Sawyer
Carl Byrd
June 28, 2003
I never met him. This was my loss. His son gave me a certain knowledge of him. His son gave me his time to teach me certain things about race cars. I drive the most entry level there is. The apple does not fall far from the tree. Thank you LORD for fathers such as Mr.Zervakis who pass to their children the importance of compassion. GOD bless you and your family, Butch. Racers, like you, have lost a friend.
Butch Manning
June 27, 2003
Thanks for all the great memories
Jim Dotson
June 27, 2003
Thoughts and prayers are with the family
Dudley Phelps
June 27, 2003
godspeed ..to those he touched, such as I..Dudvakis
Jeannie Butler
June 27, 2003
Our deepest sympathy to the family of a racing hero forever in our hearts. You are in our thoughts and prayers.
Brian and Jeannie Butler
Dudley Phelps
and the entire staff of
ButlerBuilt Motorsports Equipment
vernon peregoy
June 27, 2003
very sorry for the loss of emanuel our thoughts and prayers are with the zervakis family. lots of good memories.
Curtis Markham
June 27, 2003
Emanual had a huge impact on my racing career. I learned a lot from him over the years. My memories of him are plentiful and happy. The family remains in our thoughts and prayers.
Curtis (Bubba) Markham and family
Mario Fiore
June 27, 2003
Our team's condolences to your family. Emanuel was a great help to our Nascar modified team in its formitive years. He will never be forgotten by our team.
Malcolm Case
June 27, 2003
Mr. Zervakis had a huge impact on racing here in Virginia. We will all miss you. Godspeed!
The Malcolm Case Family
Nadine Dixon
June 26, 2003
Mr. Z as I always called him, was one of the smartest men I have ever known. I am glad I had the pleasure of him being a friend and great boss. He always kept me on my toes and usually had a joke to tell me. My prayers are with Marie and the sons, Butch, Michael and Ronnie. I will miss Mr.Z, but he will always be in my thoughts.
cheryl zimmer
June 26, 2003
i AM SORRY FOR YOUR LOSS. HE WAS A GENEROUS MAN WHO HELPED EVERYONE LOCALLY. I HAVE LOST BOTH PARENTS IN THE PAST YEAR AND I WILL PRAY FOR YOU. I HOPE YOU ALL REALIZE HE WILL TRULY BE MISSED BY EVERYONE IN THE RICHMOND COMMUNITY.
CHERYL
ron spease jr.
June 26, 2003
to a true champion who was hard to beat either as a driver or car builder,a man who started out with little but built a dream into something bigger and better,rest in peace mr.z ron spease
Robert Johnston jr
June 26, 2003
As a child I remember my first trips to Southside Speedway, and I immediately fell further in love with the sport. It didn’t take long for me to idolize some of our tracks biggest names at that time. Although he was no longer a driver I quickly learned if you wanted to win, you needed a Zervakis car. I think at that time it was the most mentioned name I could remember and I kept thinking I hope I could drive one of his cars one day. I had the opportunity to meet Emanuel sometime in the 1980’s while I was working towards starting my racing career, and remember being terrified to approach him for advice, I’d figure he would never talk to me because I was a nobody. To my surprise Mr. Zervakis was more than willing to offer advice and try to help steer me in the right direction, and just for a moment I felt like I was one of his drivers . Like others have said, he would help anyone who needed help, he was one of the greats. Our prayers go out not only to the Zervakis family but to everyone involved in local racing. This is truly a major loss……
Robert Johnston Jr.
RJ Motorsports
Linda Wood
June 26, 2003
I remember watching the "Golden Greek" race at Southside Speedway. I, also, knew Mr. Zervakis thru his business because my brother, Shirley Wood, was a customer of his.
May he and Shirley have a wonderful time discussing the good old days now that they are together. My sympathy goes out to his entire family. God Bless you all in this time of sorrow.
andre grier
June 26, 2003
I only met you once but you treated
me with great respect, and I loved the stories that you told us. WE WILL MISS YOU!!
Blake Lunsford
June 26, 2003
Butch, Tracy, and Victoria,
I just wanted you all to know that you are in my thoughts constantly during this time of sorrow. I know how much Emanual meant to all of you and how much joy that he brought to your lives. From being around him and also around people who have known him for a lot longer than I have, I can definitely tell that he was loved by many and made a lasting impression on everyone that he came in contact with. I know that Emanual will continue to live on through the stores and pictures that reflect what he has done for the racing community.
Please remember that I love you all and that you are on my mind.
With love from your family in Abingdon,
Blake
Kevin Yeatts
June 26, 2003
It's impossible for me to think about racing and not have Emanuel come to mind. My dad (Sidney Yeatts) used to help Pete Goodman and then Garland Ricketts & Ted Harifield and everyone had the greatest respect for Emanuel. I, therefore, learned respect for him also. I am sure he made impacts in many areas outside of racing, but all I ever really knew about him was related to the sport. I'm genuinely and deeply saddened at his loss and wish you God's peace in this time of heartache.
Sincerely,
Kevin Yeatts
Southside Speedway Webmaster
Kevin L. Powell
June 26, 2003
Mr.Zervakis will be missed by so many people. He talked with my father 25 years ago and helped get him into his frist racecar. i have been a long customer myself since i've been driving for 14 years. His vast knowledge of the racing industry surpasses so many other. He is truly a pioneer and was looked upon as such by so many. god speed Mr.Zervakis and many checkered flags in heaven. Tell Dale, Alan, Davey, Neil, Adam, Kenny how much they're missed but now they have the best set up man in the business to share all their memories with. we'll miss you. Kevin L. Powell and the whole Powell Motorsports team.
John Torian
June 26, 2003
The passing of Emanuel Zervakis leaves an immense void in the world of automobile racing, one that will remain forever. Those of us who benefitted from his life are forever the better because of it. May God comfort our Friend and grant peace to his family during this most difficult time.
John D. Torian ("Sleepy")
Tim Blankenship
June 26, 2003
Emanuel was a racer through and through. I was a member of Mark McFarland's LMSC team when he first started, and his first LMSC was an old Zervakis chassis. Our thoughts and prayers go to your family.
Scott Heintz
June 26, 2003
Our thoughts and prayers are with you and your family. From all of us at Heintz Performance, Inc.
Scott Heintz
June 26, 2003
Our thoughts and prayers are with you and your family. from all of os at Heintz Performance, Inc.
Kathy Williams
June 26, 2003
Our prayers and thoughts go out to the family during this sad and hard time. He is in a better place and no more pain.
Brian Donati
June 26, 2003
You will be missed, but never forgotten. We miss you
Bob and Tammy and Family Barney
June 26, 2003
A giant in our sport has passed away. We are praying for Emanuel and especially his family..
JAN BURKE
June 26, 2003
Our prays go out to his family.He was a man that would bend over backward to help many local racers.He will be truly missed. he was not only a bussiness man he was friends to eveyone he knew. and his saff shows the same to all who enter the door of scp. thank for being there.
sincerly
B3Racing At sss
Bob & Tammy Barney
June 26, 2003
We send our deepest sympathy and condolences to Butch, Tracy & The Zervakis Family. Now we await the resurrection of the dead.
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