DENNY SCHUE, 1939-2006
(published by The Ferrari Market Letter Vol 31, No. 14, used by kind permissions by Gerald Roush, picture of Denny used by kind permissions by Dr. Richard van Bree)
Dennis Roger "Denny" Schue, 67, of La Quinta, California died June 17, 2006. He was born February 25, 1939 in Chicago. After serving in the Army in the early ′50s, he and his wife Carolyn lived in Warsaw, Indiana where he was involved with selling parts and service for Arnolt-Bristols. The couple were members of the South Bend region of SCCA in the late 1950s and 1960s, and Denny crewed for various drivers involved in road racing.
In 1974 he moved his family to Rancho Palos Verdes, California to work at Royze Imported Car Parts, which he eventually bought. Like many car guys, he had always dreamed of owning a Ferrari. Going about it in a methodical way, he started tracking the Dinos for sale and tried to find out as much about them as he could . . . both about Dinos in general and specific histories of each car. The initial intent was to make a wise purchase decision.
In the early 1980s he acquired Dino 246 GT S/N 05114, a European version, and continued to compile his database on Dinos. In an unusual act of generosity and selflessness he made his register available to one and all on the internet . . . at no cost! It has proven to be an invaluable resource and those of us who track Ferraris by serial numbers will be forever in his debt.
In the mid 1990s it became increasingly difficult to get the Dino to pass smog tests and he grew frustrated with the huge costs associated with keeping the car in good shape and lost interest in owning and maintaining the car. He decided to take the equity that had built up in the car, and sold it overseas in 1996.
He subsequently retired, sold the house in Rancho Palos Verdes, and he and Carolyn built their dream home in La Quinta, California. He volunteered in the nursery at The Living Desert, worked on the Dino Register, maintain his Ocotellio catus collection, sat by the pool and enjoyed retirement.
Carolyn died suddenly in September, 2005. A few months later, Denny turned the Dino Register over to another caretaker, to insure its continuance. His death was unexpected, coming from a heart attack after some problems with what was supposed to be routine outpatient day surgery.
He is survived by a daughter, Sarah Schue of Palm Desert, California; a son, Mark Schue of Hillsboro, Oregon; a brother, Clarence Schue of Indiana and one granddaughter.
Denny was truly one of the good guys in the Ferrari world, and he will be missed. Thankfully the legacy of his Dino Register will continue.