Bob’s son, Jeff Stange, notified the world of his father’s passing on social media just days after receiving the news. Bob Stange reportedly passed away peacefully in his home in Zionsville, Indiana on Monday May 22nd. He was 84 years old.
“A life so wonderfully lived deserves to be wonderfully remembered,” Jeff wrote on the Strange Engineering Facebook page. “My father loved this way of life that we choose in the racing community. The racing, the industry, the innovation, and most of all the people who make it all come alive.”
In the post, Jeff mentioned that Bob did not want anyone to fuss over his passing and that he did not want people to feel sorrow. “Please know that when we are able, we will be sharing his memories, his achievements, and the magnitude of influence that he has had on this industry,” he wrote.
Henry Robert “Bob” Stange began his career working for Portland Cement in Skokie, Illinois, after graduating from high school in 1956. It wasn’t long before his supervisors recognized his talents and allowed him to use the building on weekends to pursue his passion of innovating car parts to make vehicles faster and safer.
In 1964, Stange founded Strange Engineering and fully committed himself to the growth of his company. His hard work, innovativeness and charisma led to Strange Engineering becoming one of the most influential and widely-known manufacturing companies in drag racing and in the automotive performance market as a whole. By 2010, Stange was inducted into the International Drag Racing Hall of Fame.
Alongside living the fast-paced life of building and maintaining his company, Strange Engineering, Bob was also an avid woodworker and cabinetmaker. A true lover of life, he is remembered as a humorous storyteller, an amazing cook and a gracious host to those who had the pleasure of knowing him. Details about an upcoming celebration of life will be announced by the family in the near future. Keep an eye on the Strange Engineering Facebook page for more details.