The Long Ride

Johnny and I spoke early in the JPM history via email. I was later able to meet him at the Indy show in 2007. He was very affable and talked with me at length. Though I did not know him well, I wish I could have. Johnny was, and is, a legend and will be missed.

Donald R. Berkey
February 22, 1949- June 14th, 2009

Who was Don Berkey?

Well, lets get the background out of the way. Don made his first powered bike at the tender age of 14 when he mounted a lawn mower engine to a bicycle and converted it to belt drive. Yeah, that Don. He was a master of home made engineering. Later Don joined the SeaBees, a naval construction battalion, and saw service in Vietnam. After his duty to the Navy, he joined the National Guard Air Cavalry and jumped out of perfectly good airplanes. I can actually imagine him doing that. :) Later, Don became a Corrections Officer with the Pennsylvania State Prison System. Somewhere in all of this, he met and married Linda and they had a son DJ.

So, thats the official Don. But who is the "real" Don? Well, as much as anyone can know a person I'll relate what I know of Don.

Don was a husband, father and best friend to his family. Don stood by Linda's side through the long ordeal of her cancer treatment. Don stood by his son whose premature birth caused childhood illnesses.

In this dangerous world, Don was the kind of peron who would stop and help a stranded motorist whether they be on a motorcycle or in a car.

Don was the kind of man that would take a newbie rider under his wing and teach her the ropes of riding Pennsylvania's blind hills.

Don loved animals. I remember reading how he would feed the deer at the edge of the prison grounds apples that he had saved for them.

Don was gruff, yet had the heart of a poet. Many here have read a few of his essays, but he wrote so many, and so much, more.

Don was a patriot. A staunch conservative, he believed in America and the intent of our founding fathers.

Who was Don Berkey?

Don Berkey was my friend.

Don was many people's friend.

Goodbye Don. We'll all miss you terribly.

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Bryan Hagan
(a.k.a. IRON THUNDER)

Iron Thunder Performance Cycles

James "Bryan" Hagan

A native of Fredericksburg, VA, Bryan was born March 21, 1969, to James Dennis and Connie Harshbarger Hagan. Bryan was a man who loved adrenaline and even achieved a land speed record for his custom built Harley. He was a master bike builder and owned his own company Iron Thunder Cycles in Raleigh. He was into skydiving, playing drums and bass, 80's music, and loved spending time in the mountains with his friends and family. He loved the military and all his 82nd Airborne brothers. More than anything else he loved his family. His world revolved around his wife Stacy and his daughter Jaclyn. His love and affection for the two most important women in his life was always second to none, and he loved nothing more that to see them smile.
Bryan is survived by his wife, Stacy Deman Hagan; daughter, Jaclyn Hagan; parents, Dennis and Connie Hagan; sister, Tammy Tilghman; brother, Jacob Hagan; and a host of friends that will surely never forget him.

To pass on your condolenses, please CLICK HERE.

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