I have enjoyed my nearly 15 years at the local Ford dealership. A part-time gig following the closure of my family’s business around 2008 to make room for local government expansion, it’s been hard for me to think of it as ‘work’. Most days bring something new, and I find myself on the road a lot, shuttling customers to home or work, doing parts deliveries and pick-ups, and odd errands.

There have been interesting people, situations, and laughs along the way. During one shuttle, across a state line, a customer pointed out an abandoned airplane lodged high in a tree, not easily visible from the road. Hound Dog Road, I discovered, deep in the rural area of a nearby county, was barely a road with nary a flop-eared canine critter to be seen. I managed to irritate a billy goat on another rural mission – finding myself glad to see the fence that was separating us!

I admired the skill of a young, former technician who I was assigned to carry, once, to an out-of-the-way corner of our county, as he operated outside of our shop’s confines.

I spent well over three decades in my family’s repair business, getting my hands greasy repairing more front-end chassis ailments than I care to remember. Working shoulder-to-shoulder with my dad and our small crew provided so much fun and satisfaction. I still enjoy life around the auto repair environment at our dealership, sans the grease under my fingernails, but it’s different from the relaxed informality of my shop. So much here involves good co-ordination among service advisors, technicians, service manager, and our parts department.

We boast a staff of fine pros in our repair chain, and a long-time constant among them has been our parts manager, Tyre Holloway. In a half- century of purchasing and replacing car parts and, now, participating in delivery and pick-up transactions, I have rarely seen a more capable parts pro. Early on, Tyre learned that the successful sales person isn’t only transacting the product – he’s selling himself and his capabilities. And I don’t think the man has ever met a stranger.

We have developed a good friendship over the years. Tyre’s roots extend from Brooklyn, to Dobbins Heights, and even to Barbados; while my own range from Rockingham to Derby. But when we discovered a mutual love of history and current events, as well as matching degrees from UNC – Pembroke, well, the conversations have been ongoing. Sports discussions, too, reveal him as more than a superficial observer.

Municipal government is a passion of Tyre’s. Over the years I watched as he gravitated from citizens’ advisory committee to elected, and re-elected, council member, and mayor pro-tem, in Dobbins Heights. Not long ago, he was named to the county’s Chamber of Commerce board.

Tyre has chosen to move on, now, to continue those pursuits. Our dealership’s loss will be good government’s gain. I suspect I will be dropping by to say ‘hi’, on occasion, and pick up our conversations. But for now, Godspeed, my friend.