Letters

Mike Fast, 1940–2018
Mike Fast of Andrew Mack & Son Brush Co. died September 29, 2018. Those who bought brushes from Mike or met him at the many trade shows he attended will remember his friendly, personable approach and his enthusiasm for quality products. Mike bought the company in 1961 from the family of founder Andrew Mack who started making Mack striping brushes for carriage stripers in 1891. Mike’s son, Chris, now runs the company, and Mike was still active in the business.—Editors

Jim Fives, 1952–2018
Jim Fives, whose murals and sign kits have appeared in SignCraft, died August 17, 2018. Jim was a traditional sign painter who did everything from gold leaf windows to murals in and around Saginaw, Michigan. He was also a fine artist and a calligrapher who enjoyed teaching calligraphy, lettering and art. These endeavors were all related in Jim’s opinion, and that was apparent in his work. He often incorporated lettering, calligraphy, cartoons and pictorials in his work.—Editors

Bob Stephens, 1955–2018
Bob Stephens, owner of Skywatch Signs, Zephyrhills, Florida, died August 19. Bob was profiled in the July/August 2014 issue of SignCraft and his work had appeared in the magazine numerous times. Bob was very active on online forums and was committed to helping sign makers be more creative and effective designers. Bob had been an avid skydiver for years— hence Skywatch Signs as his shop name—and had a real enthusiasm for aviation as well as sign design.—Editors