This is kind of late, but just found out today that a good dear friend of mine and im sure he was some of yours as i know theres former dealers and employees of Cannondale on here also, and maybe some of you already knew this.
But that being Mark Schlossnagle of Bedford, PA who was employed at both the Cannondale Motorsports and bicycle division passed away on April 8th 2013, He was 57 years young!
He was employeed at C'Dales bicycle division first then moved to the motorsports division up to the motorsports end and then went back to the bicycle division for a short time before changes happened there.
He was C'Dales Motorsports main phone tech guy and also the liaison between the dealer network and the company and also taught a lot at the dealer tech schools, He loved working for C'Dale and was a motorcycle rider himself and lived the passion for them until the end.
Mark was also on the other obsolete C'Dale forum under the username Kram432 (Kram being Mark spelled backwards and of course 432cc's) and helped a lot of guys out when the company wasnt around anymore to do it!
The last time i talked to Mark on the phone was i guess about a month before his passing, i knew he was having a hard time in life trying to take care of his terminally ill wife Ann for several years whom eventually passed away about a year before he did, losing his last job because of economy layoffs right before she passed, and just overall things that happen in life put him into a very depressed state to the point he just gave up on taking care of himself and wouldnt seek any help which i tried my best to get him to do.....as i have been there myself in that state of mind.
But had tried several times after the last time i talked to him to call him but would never get him to answer or return my calls, but then again i knew his situation of just wanting solitude and i respected that....as again been there myself.
But mailed him a Christmas card with a letter also to get him to call me...which i never got that call.
But today in the mail received a letter from his mother who lives in MD stating what had happened after the card and letter i sent was forwarded to her,...I am truly saddened!
So please say a prayer for Mark, and his Mother, Daughter and two sisters that survive him.
GodSpeed Mark...you will be missed!
Please say a late prayer for.....
I was just thinking of him last night when I was looking at my S440 in the garage. He called me a while ago and we talked about the good times at the factory. I was the tech support for the software and worked with Mark on a nearly daily basis. I would do my best to get to the factory as often as possible and see him for any excuse. He was a wealth of knowledge and all ways willing to help any way he could. He was a great man and I will miss him even more now that he is gone.
Scooter
Scooter
QUOTE (Scooter @ Jan 7 2014, 07:12 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
I was just thinking of him last night when I was looking at my S440 in the garage. He called me a while ago and we talked about the good times at the factory. I was the tech support for the software and worked with Mark on a nearly daily basis. I would do my best to get to the factory as often as possible and see him for any excuse. He was a wealth of knowledge and all ways willing to help any way he could. He was a great man and I will miss him even more now that he is gone.
Scooter
Scooter
Scooter, Just wanted you to know that Mark thought very highly of you also, as in our all the time frequent lengthy phone conversations through out the years he always would mention you more than once on your relationships between C'Dale and Optimum as you were the main man there!
I also will miss him very much, but know that he is now in the good Lords hands and his problems that he battled in life are all over with now and he is at peace!
He went beyond his means of his job at C'Dale on helping people without any hesitation and was very good to me and not only because i was a dealer but personaly during his job with C'Dale as if i needed anything it was on the way at no-charge next day air'd, and also got me the opportunity to go to work at C'Dale as his assistant, but i guess it was a good thing i didnt as right after that chance came the end and i would have been stuck in PA (a long way from my KY home!) and even after the end of his job there he through out the years sent me a lot of his own personal files of tech info and proto type stuff he aquired after the shutdown and has gave me many in-depth behind the scene stories of what went on during the C'Dale motorsports short term life which will be used in my book ive been working on for years now thats getting real close to being completed.
Also on one note he also told me he would go in the factory at night for overtime work to run test engines on the dyno....and held the record at the plant for detonating more engines than anyone...putting them through the test! LOL!
Thanx again for the kind words you posted on remembering Mark, as the same with me whenever i look at my C'Dales his memory will be with me as he was a part of it all...just like all the members still on here...he had the passion for them!
Mike Ward in KY