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Dennis Thovson

Dennis K. Thovson, 88, of New Providence, N.J. formerly of Berkeley Heights, N.J. passed away on May 15, 2022 at Overlook Medical Center, Summit, N.J.

Dennis was born on February 1, 1934 in Forest City, IA. He was the son of Katie (Ver Hoef) and Willard Orville Thovson. He graduated from Iowa State University where he received his bachelor’s and master’s degree in Electrical Engineering. He was a veteran of the United States Marine Corps where he served as a jet fighter pilot. Dennis was an Executive at Bell Labs and AT&T, Murray Hill, N.J. During his career he was awarded a patent for his work in telecommunication.

He met his beloved wife, Marlys in 1953. After 63 years of marriage, Dennis was predeceased by Marlys in 2018. Dennis was an avid Porsche enthusiast and served as the President of the Northern New Jersey Region of the Porsche Club of America and the Chief Driving Instructor for many years. Dennis also served as Vice President  and President of the national Porsche Club of America. Dennis passionately and skillfully drove his various Porsche 911s at many road racing  courses throughout the country including Watkins Glen, Lime Rock, Virginia International, Mid-Ohio, Pocono Raceway, Laguna Seca, Bridgehampton  and Summit Point. Together with his wife, Marlys they volunteered countless hours for the Porsche Club whether at the High-Performance Driving Schools, Annual Wine Tasting Events, and almost all other Club events. Dennis also enjoyed photography and was a classical pianist.

Dennis is survived by his sister, Janet Peterson and his brother, Paul Thovson. He is also survived by a host of extended family and dear friends.

Burial arrangements will take place in Forest City, IA.

A Celebration of Life” gathering is scheduled for Sunday, May 22 from 1:30 to 4:30 at Paul Miller Porsche 3419 US-46 E, Parsippany, NJ 07054. More details here.   

In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to the Lustgarten Foundation for Pancreatic Cancer Research in Dennis and Marlys’ name.

President’s Letter 2022


NNJR-PCA 
PRESIDENT’S LETTER, MAY 2022

The only constant is change.

I’ve said it in the past, but has it ever been more true?  As your newest president to carry the NNJR torch, I entered 2022 with cautious optimism.  We were slowly removing many of the pandemic restrictions that had prevented us from gathering in close proximity for the past two years, and things appeared to be getting back to “normal.”  Anyone trying to navigate life in the last two years can remember how difficult it was in the early part of 2020, and I have to thank Janice and the board members who managed the club through it.

As we hurtle towards Memorial Day weekend and the unofficial start of summer, I’m hopeful that we can meet in person, bump fists (are we still shaking hands?), and share a beverage while admiring our cars.  Now, let’s discuss change.  

Just yesterday Porsche debuted the Cayman GT4-E performance.  An all-electric racecar.  This comes after Porsche’s foray into Formula E, the Taycan, and the announcement of the next gen Boxster being all-electric.  Change is good, right?  I’ll admit that the Taycan is a pretty amazing car.  You also can’t fault the acceleration or the weight distribution of most battery powered vehicles (all the weight down low and in the middle).  But do they spark (pun intended) the passion and excitement of a traditional ICE car?  That remains to be seen.

Moreover, will racing and track day fans take to them?  As a dedicated “DE guy” I’m not sure I’m ready to hear the inevitable; “I would have passed you-but my battery was running low” excuses.  Jump packs will have a whole new meaning and folks will talk about the good old days when carburetors iced over and fuel pumps vapor locked.  Will extension cords replace red gas containers?  Change is constant and it is coming.

I’ll close out this letter with a look forward and back.  This year we celebrate NNJR’s 65th anniversary and I’m looking forward to our anniversary party in June.  Please join us if you can.  It will be a fantastic celebration.  I also need to look back and celebrate Dennis Thovson who left us this year after 50+ years of service to the Porsche Club of America.  Dennis held every role imaginable including national president, VP, treasurer, parade chair, and the person responsible for starting NNJR’s very successful DE program.  As we look forward to our 65th gathering, let’s also look back to thank those that got us here.  Without the changes they made, we would not have the club we enjoy today.  Thank you.

Richard Barry – NNJR-PCA President

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