# My auto mechanic passed away this weekend **URL:** \ **Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\ **Tags:** radio, mechanics\ **Created:** [October 11, 2011, 10:10pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/my-auto-mechanic-passed-away-this-weekend/68556 "2011-10-11T22:10:32Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![radzfoto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ac8455/32.png) [@radzfoto](https://community.cartalk.com/u/radzfoto)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2011, 10:10pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/my-auto-mechanic-passed-away-this-weekend/68556/1 "2011-10-11T22:10:32Z")
My auto mechanic died this weekend. In this modern world it is rare to know your mechanic well enough to know that he passed away. I knew Gary Meissner for 34 years since he first started working on my cars based on a reference from a friend. Gary was generous, honest, warm, friendly… He lent me his own car when I needed it. He dropped off our cars in our driveway a few blocks from his garage. Gary talked about retiring since I first knew him, and I knew that he would work until he died because he loved talking to his customers. I will miss talking to him about his travels, his problems in the shop, our families, and all the other stuff that we would chat about for 30 minutes each time I dropped a car off or picked one up after it was fixed. I will really miss him. He was a friend. ---
**Author:** ![waterboy](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/waterboy/32/764_2.png) [@waterboy](https://community.cartalk.com/u/waterboy)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2011, 11:03pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/my-auto-mechanic-passed-away-this-weekend/68556/2 "2011-10-11T23:03:51Z")
Condolences. I am sure others will miss him also. You remembering him fondly may bring his spirit joy. ---
**Author:** ![UncleTurbo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/e9a140/32.png) [@UncleTurbo](https://community.cartalk.com/u/UncleTurbo)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2011, 11:50pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/my-auto-mechanic-passed-away-this-weekend/68556/3 "2011-10-11T23:50:31Z")
While business is about making a reasonable profit, it is also about relationships. Too often the relationship part of a business gets lost in the process of making more money. It seems your mechanic had a good balance for him and his business. ---
**Author:** ![flash71](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/b2d939/32.png) [@flash71](https://community.cartalk.com/u/flash71)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2011, 8:25pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/my-auto-mechanic-passed-away-this-weekend/68556/4 "2011-10-12T20:25:22Z")
I agree 100% with radzfoto, Gary was one of the best in the business, and a fun guy to talk to, he will be missed by MANY. ---
**Author:** ![patrick24](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a587f6/32.png) [@patrick24](https://community.cartalk.com/u/patrick24)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2011, 8:38pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/my-auto-mechanic-passed-away-this-weekend/68556/5 "2011-10-12T20:38:35Z")
You may to look at his obit. to see if his family is requesting memorial contributions made in his name. ---
**Author:** ![Triedaq](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/65b543/32.png) [@Triedaq](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Triedaq)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2011, 12:21am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/my-auto-mechanic-passed-away-this-weekend/68556/6 "2011-10-13T00:21:06Z")
Good mechanics have a real love of making things work for their customers. Some of the best mechanics I have known didn’t charge enough for their work. Unfortunately, the owner-mechanic garages are disappearing as are independent repair shops in many fields. I think, as a nation, we have really lost something valuable.