originally posted on 5/17/2020
Photo: Richard Munch. View full-sized image.
On April 13, one of ACE’s longtime members lost his battle with the COVID-19 virus.
Robert Api is survived by his wife, Joanie, whom he married in 1974, and sons, Rob, Steve and Mike. Robert and his wife joined ACE in 1985 after learning about the organization when they met a member at Playland Park (Rye, New York), who was wearing a vest covered with park patches – a common story of discovering ACE in that pre-internet era. The kids became official members in 1989, once family memberships were introduced.
Hailing from the Bronx in New York City, Rob grew up going to Palisades Park (Bergen County, New Jersey; 1898-1971) and Freedomland USA (Bronx, New York; 1960-64) and regularly regaled his kids with stories of those legendary places. Of the parks that remain today, Knoebels and Kennywood were his favorites.
Any mention of Rob and his history in ACE would be remiss without mention of his seemingly inseparable dark-haired family unit of five, who were fixtures at Coaster Cons and many other events. In the late 1980s, they were among only a small handful of families with multiple kids to be so active in ACE. Countless members watched their kids grow up. Mike, the youngest who is now 36, was only one year old when he attended his first event, and he was 19 when he attended his last Coaster Con.
They were always a very close, loving and friendly family. They welcomed regional ACE members into their home the day after Christmas. For Rob and Joanie, ACE was a part of their family, something that isn’t lost on their kids, even decades later. Both as a family and as individuals, they genuinely cherish the friendships that they made through ACE.
“Robert was so full of life, stories, laughter and had such a warm way about him,” said Janice Witherow, formerly of Cedar Point’s public relations department from 1991 to 2004. “In my time at Cedar Point, I would so look forward when I knew they were coming to the park, and they would always stop in my office to say hello … they never wanted anything … just to say ‘hi.’”
The family members all shared a keen interest in baseball, so it’s no surprise that son Mike made the analogy, “He had a heart bigger than his giant catcher’s mitt hands.” The kids all played, and at some point, Rob coached each of them. When the family traveled to ACE events, they would visit ballparks in other cities across the country. Attending a minor league Double-A Altoona (Pennsylvania) Curve home game was a highlight, as Lakemont Park’s Skyliner was operating just steps beyond the outfield.
In recent years, with the kids grown, some with their own families, they haven't been as active in the organization, but in all these years they only missed two Phoenix Phall Phunfest events at Knoebels, an event where they reveled in reconnecting with so many members from their era and enjoyed meeting new ones. They were also determined to attend this year's Coaster Con.
As well as Rob was known at a social level, it should be noted that he was always willing to step up and help ACE when called upon. In fact, he served on the Executive Committee as documentarian (a position that preceded archivist) for a number of years. Documenting ACE’s history was something that he was passionate about, and in fact, he recorded many of his experiences at ACE events on video.
The many ACE members who knew Rob will miss him being around. And those who didn’t, be sure not to miss the words of his son that follow.
— Bill Linkenheimer III
My dad considered ACE to be an extension of his family. He loved making new friends, reconnecting with old ones and making sure everyone around him was having fun. Thank you to all who have reached out for your tremendous outpouring of love and support during this difficult time. We are truly lucky to have such a huge extended family behind us.
To newer ACE members who may not have known my dad, just know he would've been thrilled to have met you. He'd encourage you to do what he liked to do: Meet new people. Talk to other members in queue lines. Support small parks. Get that T-shirt. And FILM EVERYTHING. (Trust me, 20 years from now you'll be glad you did.) We have so many memories to look back on because my parents took photos and videos everywhere we went, and that was well before we carried high-definition cameras in our pockets. We can't wait to continue his legacy and get to know you at future ACE events.
— Mike Api
@#$%&!
#ACENews