bama_ed
It's kind of fun to do the impossible-Walt Disney
- Joined
- Sep 23, 2004
- Messages
- 14,044
With much sorrow in my heart, I have to report that our dear, beloved poster TheRustyScupper (Joe Sandor) passed away early today. He was in his later 70s.
Joe (aka Rusty) was a retired executive of a large, international construction and agricultural machine corporation who was in charge of manufacturing plants at various times all over the world. He was a well educated man (undergraduate from Purdue, I believe). But after the corporate career, he and DW moved to Florida in retirement and they both went to work for the Mouse with Joe working when we knew him in the early 2010s as a Concierge at Fort Wilderness (and also spent time as Concierge at the Wilderness Lodge).
He joined the DIS in 2000 and posted for the last 15+ years mainly on the Camping Board with restaurant reviews, opinions, and advice all thoroughly bullet-pointed and organized. His last post on the DIS was October 21, 2025 and he last viewed the DIS on March 3, 2026. He truly appreciated the campers at Fort Wilderness and saw them as honest, kind, good people that he wanted to work around. As he worked and posted, we saw more of his character and charisma. I met him in person first on our March 2014 trip and as we DIS Campers had visits that coincided with each other, we would get together often for an afternoon for an informal DISMeet and invite Joe and DW. I recall times when @2goofycampers and @Boomer1 and @garneska were at the Fort the same time I was and we would DISMeet together at times - I know others would invite him/DW to an informal DISMeet as well when they were at the Fort. Joe and DW got to be good friends to our family and other DIS Campers, so much so that we also listed Joe and DW on our reservation to guarantee them access to the Fort for a visit whenever we were there.
His life was flipped upside down when he was injured in a terrible car crash on 02/15/17 where a tourist crossed the centerline and hit his Yukon head-on. The policeman later told him that Joe only survived due to the 2 "G"s. God and GM engineering. The surgeries and therapies were done but he was left in a condition that prevented him from being able to stand or walk very far unassisted. He retired again, this time from Disney, and enjoyed his other activities and interests.
There were several things about Joe that he had as his interests.
- he grew up in an age where he loved Annette Funicello (one of the original Mousketeers) and even in recent years would start a "Happy Birthday" thread on Annette's birthday on the Community Board.
- one of his favorite Disney characters was Figment.
- he loved steam locomotives (as I do) and had an uncle that worked in the steam shop of the Nickel Plate Railroad (NKP around the Toledo, Ohio area) and would take young Joe to the shop.
- he spent some adult corporate time in the Cleveland, Ohio area which is where my family is from. His cell phone number still had a Cleveland area code.
- he would make references to Old Time Radio shows and characters. Often it was Lamont Cranston who was the star of the OTR show 'The Shadow'.
- he would sometimes close out his posts with a 'Ta Ta For Now' (or TTFN), a phrase used by Tigger occasionally.
- he could play the 5-string banjo and was part of that local music scene and once/twice got to sit in with the HDDR review piano/banjo players and do a song or two as part of the show.
- in 2014 he became an ordained minister and would do weddings or vow renewals on Disney property that were NOT openly public; they were done in the guest room or campsite. Disney knew but could not stop him as long as it was private.
- his restaurant reviews were detailed, with bullet points, and opinionated. He would go against the grain if he felt it was deserved (good or bad).
In his spare time he offered his knowledge, effort, experience and advice to the coming generations through programs like SCORE, Give Kids The World, Make-a-Wish, and Kiwanis. He was certainly an intelligent man with a big heart and giving spirit.
He is in heaven tonight with our other passed posters like PaHunter (Chris Bowman) and Stratman50th (Don Frye). Let's add any posts below of Joe/Rusty encounters or reviews. I'll add mine tomorrow.
Bama Ed
PS - Denise (Camping Board Moderator), please leave this on the main Camping Board for a week or so for better visibility before moving it to the Community Board.
PPS - his handle, TheRustyScupper, was a reference to an old, bedraggled sailboat that he used to own.
Joe (aka Rusty) was a retired executive of a large, international construction and agricultural machine corporation who was in charge of manufacturing plants at various times all over the world. He was a well educated man (undergraduate from Purdue, I believe). But after the corporate career, he and DW moved to Florida in retirement and they both went to work for the Mouse with Joe working when we knew him in the early 2010s as a Concierge at Fort Wilderness (and also spent time as Concierge at the Wilderness Lodge).
He joined the DIS in 2000 and posted for the last 15+ years mainly on the Camping Board with restaurant reviews, opinions, and advice all thoroughly bullet-pointed and organized. His last post on the DIS was October 21, 2025 and he last viewed the DIS on March 3, 2026. He truly appreciated the campers at Fort Wilderness and saw them as honest, kind, good people that he wanted to work around. As he worked and posted, we saw more of his character and charisma. I met him in person first on our March 2014 trip and as we DIS Campers had visits that coincided with each other, we would get together often for an afternoon for an informal DISMeet and invite Joe and DW. I recall times when @2goofycampers and @Boomer1 and @garneska were at the Fort the same time I was and we would DISMeet together at times - I know others would invite him/DW to an informal DISMeet as well when they were at the Fort. Joe and DW got to be good friends to our family and other DIS Campers, so much so that we also listed Joe and DW on our reservation to guarantee them access to the Fort for a visit whenever we were there.
His life was flipped upside down when he was injured in a terrible car crash on 02/15/17 where a tourist crossed the centerline and hit his Yukon head-on. The policeman later told him that Joe only survived due to the 2 "G"s. God and GM engineering. The surgeries and therapies were done but he was left in a condition that prevented him from being able to stand or walk very far unassisted. He retired again, this time from Disney, and enjoyed his other activities and interests.
There were several things about Joe that he had as his interests.
- he grew up in an age where he loved Annette Funicello (one of the original Mousketeers) and even in recent years would start a "Happy Birthday" thread on Annette's birthday on the Community Board.
- one of his favorite Disney characters was Figment.
- he loved steam locomotives (as I do) and had an uncle that worked in the steam shop of the Nickel Plate Railroad (NKP around the Toledo, Ohio area) and would take young Joe to the shop.
- he spent some adult corporate time in the Cleveland, Ohio area which is where my family is from. His cell phone number still had a Cleveland area code.
- he would make references to Old Time Radio shows and characters. Often it was Lamont Cranston who was the star of the OTR show 'The Shadow'.
- he would sometimes close out his posts with a 'Ta Ta For Now' (or TTFN), a phrase used by Tigger occasionally.
- he could play the 5-string banjo and was part of that local music scene and once/twice got to sit in with the HDDR review piano/banjo players and do a song or two as part of the show.
- in 2014 he became an ordained minister and would do weddings or vow renewals on Disney property that were NOT openly public; they were done in the guest room or campsite. Disney knew but could not stop him as long as it was private.
- his restaurant reviews were detailed, with bullet points, and opinionated. He would go against the grain if he felt it was deserved (good or bad).
In his spare time he offered his knowledge, effort, experience and advice to the coming generations through programs like SCORE, Give Kids The World, Make-a-Wish, and Kiwanis. He was certainly an intelligent man with a big heart and giving spirit.
He is in heaven tonight with our other passed posters like PaHunter (Chris Bowman) and Stratman50th (Don Frye). Let's add any posts below of Joe/Rusty encounters or reviews. I'll add mine tomorrow.
Bama Ed
PS - Denise (Camping Board Moderator), please leave this on the main Camping Board for a week or so for better visibility before moving it to the Community Board.
PPS - his handle, TheRustyScupper, was a reference to an old, bedraggled sailboat that he used to own.
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The boards lose a little of their magic with each loss. I’d like to imagine there is a big DIS meet on the other side and he’s been invited to pull up a chair and join in. RIP
Peace, brother.
