Newspapers / The Kings Mountain Herald … / Aug. 11, 2010, edition 1 / Page 8
Part of The Kings Mountain Herald (Kings Mountain, N.C.) / About this page
This page has errors
The date, title, or page description is wrong
This page has harmful content
This page contains sensitive or offensive material
The Kings Mountain Herald | Front Porch a | Music A shorter man that I had to look up to I’ve personally known only one man I could truthfully characterize as a Renaissance man. He died a week ago in a motorcycle accident on a bridge spanning the Ohio River in Louisville, KY. We were neighbors. Richard and Mary lived less than a quarter mile from 'me, across a holler filled with blackberry briars and the corner of a bean field. In the winter I could see their house from mine when the oaks and hickory trees that surrounded | their home lost their leaves to the first wind of the season. = ¢ We're aboutithe'same age, so Richard Gard’s lived some three score years on this earth, and very nearly every day of them spent within a mile or two or three of the very rural Illinois home he was born in. Yet he climbed to the top of his profession and made a name for himself nationwide. 5 Better than that, his humanitarian efforts touched lives all over the globe. Even though I stood half a head taller than Richard, I had to look up.to him every time we met. He was a “body man” by trade and loved every minute he spent-actually. repairing damaged vehi- cles. As the industry moved more and more toward “swapping parts’ rather than fixing broken ones his feelings about his craft changed. He could accept the financial necessity of new ways of doing busi- ness but the artist and craftsman in him would never accept it. To him a car had a soul, and it deserved the care and pride and craftsmanship he could put into healing its metal shell or steel skeleton. That talent and a vivid imagination that could turn a few pieces of steel or aluminum or some fiberglass into magnificent works of art that you could actually drive earned him his fame. He de- signed and built motorcycles and cars and trucks that won awards at top shows. His creations graced the covers repeatedly of nationally-distributed mag- azines like “Custom Rod” and “Cycle”. He was the Orange County Cycles of his day and place, except that he was probably better than ‘they are and no one ever heard Richard cuss. He forged friendships that reached the very top of his field. “Big Daddy” Ed Roth, the creator of Rat Fink, was one of those. He respected Richard’s work so much he traveled half way across the coun- try to judge a rod, custom and antique car show for a little festival that Richard was a part of. I had plastic models of Roth’s creations that I had pieced together with model glue in my youth. * teach what he knew to others as long as they were ‘when I was in college that lacked Richard’s ability “don’t know, and I doubt Richard did either. He To have Richard introduce me to “Big Daddy” was a real rush. He was a totally unselfish person. He loved to willing to work hard and stay committed to doing it right. He didn’t tolerate short cuts in his own life and he wasn’t about to allow it in others under his charge. He was always quick to credit his mentor, Ed Bolin. Without teachers, life will stop, he’d say. He loved literature, something you don’t see often in ‘“‘car guys”. His favorite was J.R.R. Tolkien. . He was frequently finding ways to apply Hobbit and Lord of the Rings to nearly any discussion from the value of friendships to piston technology. = | Few people on the parts of this earth I’ve inhab- ited have brought me more pleasure than Richard could just by spending 15 minutes probing the meaning behind the simplest ideas. I had philosophy professors with “doctor” in front of their names to understand and interpret life. He found his greatest pleasure in two extensions of the same activity. He created incredibly wonder- ful music boxes entirely from pieces of wood. . .in- tricate details that I could not even imagine. Then he gave them away. ; He made dozens, perhaps hundreds. I certainly wouldn’t have kept track. He made the first one for a friend whose hus- band was dying of cancer. He told her he hoped it could bring her a smile and some degree of comfort. All he asked was that she pass it along to someone else who needed it when she felt her burden had been lightened enough to let it go. Then he created another. And another. And an- other. Although I haven't seen Richard in'a few years I’d bet he still has one started in his shop right NOW. : He also began creating music boxes as fundrais- ers during local events, He raised thousands of dol- lars to help people he never knew. These were the only music boxes he made that he ever allowed to be sold. His talent was God-given, he’d said, and he was using it to help others, not himself. It was no small sacrifice either. They were worth hundreds, and some thousands, of dollars each. The funeral home probably will not hold all the people who will attend his service. The Mormon Tabernacle would certainly not hold all the people whose lives he touched. Postscript: Richard was laid to rest last Friday. I know he was smiling one of his “gotcha” grins as his casket was carried to his grave in a stately horse-drawn carriage type hearse, but this one was pulled by a Harley Wide Glide instead of a pair of dapple grays, There were few flowers because he had re- quested teddy bears instead, which were to be given to kids in area hospitals. And the size of that crowd? The Chrysler dealer next door moved the cars off his lot to accommo- date Richard’s friends. Do it for yourCAREER. Do it for your FAMILY. Do it for YOU! i. WHO ARE WE? “The Learning Center on the campus of Cleveland Community College offers free classes in Adult Basic Education (ABE), GED, and English as a Second Language (ESL). If you know someone who struggles with reading, math, or English, direct them to us. Our classes are free of charge and are scheduled in various locations around the county. We also offer courses anywhere there is aneed. If you wantto start a program in your neighborhood, call Dr. Chris Nanney, Dean of Basic Skills, at 704-484-4062. If there are at least ten students, we can be there. For more information, call 704-484-4050 or visit us on the ABE/GED Adult High School/GED Lab English as a Second Language CLASSES ON THE CLASS Adult Basic Education (ABE) Paksoy 3112 Paksoy 3112 Paksoy 3116 Paksoy 3116 Paksoy 3116 Online Paksoy 3105 Paksoy 3105 Hunt 2054 Hunt 2054 CLEVELAND COMMUNITY COLLEGE ‘ SITE Letter to the Editor: Parking is challenge downtown for our senior citizens Itis a shame that our great city has lost its respect for our old and disabled citizens. They must park and walk some distance and then climb stairs to go into the drug store to get their medicine, They have to do. this because the best places to park on West Mountain Street only has one handicapped parking space arid the rest is for pool players and wine bibbers and for a loading zone. Most of'these, people are in a lot better condition than people that are in their 80s and some have to use canes to get around. I guess people who are in charge. of this will be happy when one or more of our sen- ior citizens fall and break a leg or worse. What a pity. : Gerald Williams 206 Mary Grove Church Rd. Kings Mountain AIC Taylor Brewer completes basic training Airman First Class Jon Taylor Brewer, son of Jacki and Jon Brewer of Kings Mountain, a 2007 [§ graduate of Hope Christian =~ Acad- emy, recently com- pleted Air Force basic military training at Lack- land AFB, Texas. AIC Brewer endured the 8-1/2 week . new Air Force Basic Training program which included hand-to-hand combat training and basic war , fighting skills. He also qualified for the Marks- manship ribbon firing 46, out of 50 with the M16Al. Presently, he is at Sheppard AFB in Texas where he will gain experience in the ca- reer field of Aerospace Ground Equipment. The AGE field of training teaches airmen how to diagnose, maintain and repair the equipment used to service aircraft to include gasoline and diesel engines, HVAC, electronic components, and hydraulics. After completing the four month course, he will return to North Carolina as as member of the 145th Mainte- nance Squadron of the NC Air National Guard located at Charlotte Douglas International Air- port. = DAYS Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri CLASSES AT OTHER CLEVELAND COUNTY LOCATIONS CLASS Job Link (ESC) 404 E. Marion St., Shelby DAYS Friendship United Methodist Church 111 Friendship Dr., Fallston New Bynum Chapel AME Zion 313 N. Cansler St., Kings Mountain East Elementary 600 Cleveland Ave., Kings Mountain Washington Missionary Baptist Ch. 1920 Stony Point Road, Waco web. Remember—these classes are free! . ABE/GED ABE/Teach Me to Read Compensatory Education CJPP Resource Center 308 Gardner St., Shelby Job Link (ESC) 404 E. Marion St., Shelby Durham United Methodist Church 320 E. Ross Grove Rd., Shelby Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri ; . ® 38:30AM - 12:30 PM Wednesday, August 11, 2010 Health, fitness workshop A Healthy Living work- shop will begin Sept. 13 and continue each Monday from 1:30-4 p.m. through October 18 at the Gaston County Senior Center. If you are an adult 55 years or older with an ongo- ing health condition sign up by calling the Senior Center at 704-922-2170. Senior dance Friday The Gaston County Sen- ior. Center will hold its monthly dance on Friday at 7 p.m. at the Gaston Senior Center, 1303 Dallas-Cher- ryyille Highway. The Coun- try Bucks will perform. Tickets are $3 per person or $5 couple. Doors open at 6 p.m. Buy life insurance and save on your home and car. hen you buy life insurance from us through Auto-Owners Insurance, you'll receive special discounts on your home, mobile home orca’ in insurance. We'll save you money. As an independent Auto-Owners agent, we take great interest in you — as well as your home and car. We are specialists in insuring people — and the things they own. Auwto.Owners Insurance Warlick and Hamrick Insurance 704.739.3611 -ocated on the campus of Cleveland Community College CAMPUS TIME 8:00 AM — 1:00 PM , 5:00 PM — 9:00 PM 8:00 AM — 1:00 PM 1:15 PM - 4:15 PM 5:00 PM — 9:00 PM Online 8:00 AM — 9:00 PM 8:00 AM — 2:00 PM 9:00 AM — 12:00 PM 6:00 PM — 9:00 PM SITE, TIME 5:00 PM — 9:00 PM 8:30 AM — 12:30 PM 5:00 PM —- 9:00 PM 8:15 AM —12:15 PM 8:00 AM — 12:00 PM 1:00 PM — 4:00 PM 9:00 AM —- 12:00 PM ASE Re — Se TN re re — dr SR RT fA TE aa RT
The Kings Mountain Herald (Kings Mountain, N.C.)
Standardized title groups preceding, succeeding, and alternate titles together.
Aug. 11, 2010, edition 1
8
Click "Submit" to request a review of this page. NCDHC staff will check .
0 / 75