Obituary of Harold K. Strupp

South Plainfield, NJ - Harold Kenneth "Sonny" Strupp, 89, died peacefully on Sunday, September 27, 2015 at JFK Medical Center in Edison. He lived at his home of 68 years on Delmore Avenue until September 25th. Predeceased by his wife Amelia in 2013, and siblings John, Hannah, Raymond "Dutch", Francis, Elizabeth and Harris. Harold was the son of Adolph "Gus" and Katherine Strupp. Born September 22, 1926 in Pluckemin, NJ, the man better known as "Sonny" settled to South Plainfield after marriage to his wife Amelia "Amy" on September 21, 1947. He met Amy while working as a roller skating guard in Plainfield, NJ where they enjoyed weekends together. Sonny was honorably discharged from the United States Navy on October 15, 1945 where he was an aviation machinist's mate, second class. He retired from Colonial Tank Transport in 1981. A family man and well known as "the gentleman racer", Sonny Strupp had a fantastic dirt modified career from the late 1940s through mid-1970s, winning over 50 feature races in his meticulously maintained red #24. He was a NASCAR member in 1953 and dominated local tracks in the late 50s and early 60s, winning track championships in 1958 and 1960 at Orange County Fair Speedway in Middletown, NY. His passion for racing started much earlier as his father Gus owned the famous Strupp-Miller Special which held several track records and won the 1934 Eastern AAA Championship with Pennsylvania's Johnny Hannon at the wheel. Sonny is survived by his daughter Kathy Darcy and husband Bill of Port Murray, son John Strupp and wife Patti of Asbury. Grandchildren Bill Darcy, Jr. and wife Kristy, granddaughter Leigh Bodenschatz and husband Scott, Jacob Strupp and Thomas Strupp, and five great-grandsons Joseph Bodenschatz Jr., Billy Darcy III, Jake Darcy, Gus Bodenschatz and Harrison Darcy. Funeral Services will be held on Monday, October 5, 2015 at 11:00 AM in the McCriskin - Gustafson Home for Funerals 2425 Plainfield Ave., South Plainfield, NJ 07080. Interment will follow at North Branch Reformed Church Cemetery, North Branch. Visitation will be held on Sunday, October 4th from 2:00-4:00 PM and 7:00-9:00 PM in the funeral home. In lieu of flowers donations have been requested to St. Jude's Children's Research Hospital www.stjude.org